Alluring Seas
by dragondustbubblez
Summary: All aboard the FANG, a newly made ship in a time of wonder and discovery. Edward, the adopted son of the founder of the ship, finds his life boring until he meets someone he doesn't expect. Titanic with a twist of Twilight. Edward x Bella
1. Chapter 1

Alluring Seas

A tragic but sweet tale between two different people from two extremely different worlds. No words could describe the feeling of being with your soul mate. What if she was taken away? Remorse knocks on your door. But one thing is for certain. Some tales will never be forgotten and the pain will cease, no matter how long it grips your memory. She will never be forgotten, the first one to accept the beast inside him . . .

Edward's POV. Spin-off of Titanic, Twilight Version.

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN TWILIGHT OR TITANIC!!!!!!! 

Chapter 1 – Waiting and Wanting

How fortunate am I, dining with the finest company of our time, if we even dine. Being what we are, dining was only a waste our time, of course. Making small talk among the rich men and the proper ladies seems like a privilege, but this only masks the true nature of the prosperous life. True, I am healthy, rich, pleasant, and privileged. I'm bored out of my mind.

Something about this life gets to me, sooner or later. All the expensive gifts and cheap wine is just too much. How I wish that I could trades lives with someone normal. I hate being this ungrateful for the life I lead and I rather be like this than on the streets, but, considering what we are, being on street doesn't sound so bad. Vampires should be in graveyards instead conversing among the normal folk. I am no more than a monster, and I am hiding it from society.

Trying to fit in works nicely, considering how we dazzle people with our eyes and our features. It all works out nicely. But, unlike our ancestors, who were either killed a while ago or may still be lurking in the shadows of today, we do not crave human blood. Or, at least we have the decency to resist it. My family and I have stayed true to the promise of the Volturi code, swearing an oath that we would never harm humans unless provoked to do so.

It took many a decade for my family and I to get used to these rules, seeing as how our sense of smell drove us nearly insane with all of humanity's flesh at our doorstep. Eventually, I learned to cope with my thirst and I continued to contain my beastly self. My brother, Jasper, wasn't very used to the concept yet, and, on several occasions, we would run after him and hold him down, preventing him from making the biggest mistake of his life.

My adopted father, Carlisle, had been exposed to the stench of human for so long, that he no longer has the desire to drink it. He claims to me this day, "I've no need for human blood. I've forgotten what it tastes like!". It would crack me up with laughter every time. I wouldn't believe it until I could see it with my own eyes. But as soon as we had spent more quality time alone with each other, he'd tell me of all the things he had seen over the years. He's been alive since the Renaissance period. He claimed that his life wasn't all boring for those hundreds of years, watching people come and go as they please; life moved on as it should. He watched and wondered at the inventions that popped up every ten years or so, marveling their wonders. But he was never known to many people, for he preferred the quiet life, only drinking from strangers that dared to venture into the city's darkest alleys.

He said that seeing the first steam ships to be built almost could have brought tears to his wise, old eyes. But the thing is, vampires no longer have the ability to cry. We've been away from humanity's genes for so long, that our eyes no longer have to do so. Still, if we are emotional enough, we feel the need to weep, but we'll never get the experience again. Some vampires claim that they are able to after losing a loved one, but I'd believe it when I saw it with my own two, glassy eyes. I was stubborn when it came to myths.

Carlisle found me during the Dark Ages, finding his way through the slums of England. He heard my cries for help and came through my door. That's when my life changed forever. My mother had just recently died from the Bubonic Plague and I was in mourning for several days. Unfortunately, staying by her rotting corpse caused me to catch this deadly disease. I too, began to rot away slowly, waiting for the day when I'd join her in heaven. Carlisle asked me if I wanted a second chance. He certainly gave me one, but not what I expected. He said he was a doctor, but his treatment was nothing short of a miracle. Or a nightmare. Of which, I didn't know how to compare. Both explained my situation.

I lived with him for many years, both of us never growing old. It seemed that Carlisle was lonely and wanted a companion of his own. But as time rushed by, we mentally grew old, learning of the world's customs and becoming wiser. Still, we wished for many things that we knew we couldn't have. Carlisle got his wish, unlike myself.

He wanted a family of his own. Sooner or later, he met Esme, the love of his life. While they could never have children, they just looked for some of their own, taking in strays that wanted a second shot in this new life. Eventually, the family met up to his standards and settling down was the next option. Throughout the years, he found my two brothers, Jasper and Emmett, and my two sisters, Alice and Rosalie. We all got along pretty well for a group of misfits.

Rosalie fell for Emmett, the typical blond haired girl and strong, buff boy couple. Alice fell for Jasper, the spunky black haired girl and the silent and tall boy couple. Carlisle and Esme are together still; they've been inseparable ever since they've met. I'm the only one without another "bloodsucker" as my mate. It isn't like I'm looking. Personally, I couldn't care less. It isn't like some random straying female will cross my path one day. No one will live up to my standards. They're all the same. No one could love what I've become, not my true self . . .

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"Edward, come along dear," called Esme. She seemed to getting anxious and impatient. "We don't want to be last in line now, do we? I'd hate to get a room in the worker's deck." I sighed slightly. "Mother, how could we possibly get a commoner's room if father was the one who built the ship in the first place? It would be a pity to see that happen to us."

"But, there's so many humans boarding this ship. I doubt we'll have room by time we get on." Esme checked her pocket watch in worry. Carlisle came around the corner, after having a word with the captain of the ship. "Don't worry, love," he claimed proudly, "I've gotten rooms preserved just for our family and no one can enter them except the maids and us. You have nothing to worry about." Esme smiled happily and picked up her luggage. Alice and Jasper followed her up the ramp. Alice, as always, was wearing a gigantic grin and her partner, Jasper, just watched her quietly, enjoying her enthusiasm. The noise of the crowd seemed to arouse Emmett's curiosity, but Rosalie just stared at the ship in disbelief.

"**This **thing is taking us to America?" she asked incredulously. "It's not much to look at. I think that one other ship we looked at was bigger than this one." Carlisle chuckled. "But it makes for size in its beauty and grace on the inside. It is much sturdier and much quieter than other ships. I designed it especially for those who have trouble sleeping. The only thing that can bring this ship down is a hurricane. I assure you, this ship is in good hands. I've hired only the finest sailors."

I chuckled quietly to myself and brushed the hair out of my eyes, ignoring the adoring stares from the women behind me. Ever since I had gotten into the crowd, my family and I have been nothing short of an attraction. No one could seem to take their eyes of us. Rosalie and Emmett enjoyed the constant attention. Alice and Jasper just shrugged it off. I was annoyed. That was the work of our vampire magnetism at its finest.

"Shall I take your bags, sir?" a man beside me asked suddenly. He held out his hands, offering to help me with my baggage. "No thank you," I said politely. I effortlessly picked up all my belongings and carried on into the ship's opened side-door.

This ship sure was glamorous in its own way. Carlisle named the ship "Fang", ironically. He was proud of it in many ways and the money we got off of it was making us a fortune. As if we weren't rich enough already. But the good thing about my family was that we weren't greedy. We planned to use half of the money we would earn to help feed the poor. Times in England were rough, despite how prosperous humanity was getting over time. I was sure that in a hundred years or so, we wouldn't advance very far. I doubted that someone would be smart enough to make a portable telephone or say, a new flying machine. For that, I was certain.

My uncanny vampire ability to read people's minds became very effective in terms of finding ideas for my father. Some clever boy claimed to himself that someone should make a devise that could capture moving images and keep them, so that you could re-watch it over and over. Carlisle and Jasper had pondered endlessly about how this could be possible. They never found a way, much to their disappointment. Carlisle said it was impossible.

Either way, Fang was a glorious invention, and we were rather proud of our adoptive father. He wouldn't let his fame get to his head. Every five minutes or so, I would see him argue with the captain, complaining that the turning wheel wasn't loose enough. No one bothered though. Carlisle was just an old worry-wart. No wonder Esme fell for his so called "charm".

I followed my family into the elevator and we rose to the top of all the inner decks. The halls were decorated with the finest wallpaper and the carpet was neat and soft, having never been stepped on before. It seemed like paradise for a minute, until all the servants came around to annoy us. None of the female maids would go away, no matter how much I tried to shoo them away.

"May I take your coat sir?" "Sir would you like some tea? I have the finest from Italy right here." "I have your room number sir. Just call me if you need assistance." "No, call me! Captain's orders. I'm the finest of all the maids here." "Are you hungry sir?" "Shall I call a servant to shine your shoes?" "Are you finding things alright sir?" "Shall I show you where the restrooms are?" "Sir, you look rather pale. Are you ill?" "I have medicine in the maid's room if you need it sir." "No, I'll get it! I have a bunk closest to it."

Enough was enough. There were at least twelve maids, all of them up in my personal bubble. "No thank you, I'm fine. All of you go! I need no assistance! I know where the bathroom is, I'm not hungry, I am not ill, my shoes don't need shining, and I already know where my room is. Please leave me." I left as fast as I could, hoping that none of them were following me. Is that obvious that I'm single?

I closed the door and locked it. Sighing, I took off my coat and sat on the couch nearby. Carlisle stood there, laughing at me. "Couldn't get the maids away?" Hmph, who does he think I am? A lady's man?

"Is it such a crime to just bite ONE of those women? They all die eventually." Carlisle chuckled softly again and sat down beside me. "Ah, don't worry, you'll get used to it, trust me. If it bothers you that much, I'll tell the Captain to send only one maid at a time." "You couldn't tell him this BEFORE I got onto the ship?"

Carlisle sighed and smiled. "I wanted you to feel welcome." He was obviously toying around with me. "Huh," I said coldly, "too late for that." Carlisle wasn't going to be serious and I wasn't in the mood for shenanigans. I got up and walked out, meeting up with Emmett and Rosalie. "Can I join you guys?" I asked them, hoping for a positive answer. "All this crammed space is getting to my head."

Emmett smiled. "Sure! Rosalie and I were just heading up to the surface. We need some fresh air too." Thankfully, I carried out a conversation with them, hoping to avoid any wandering eyes that might be interested in me, man and woman alike. Maybe looking at people from a distance might help to clear my head.

We continued up the steps on the ship's outer area. There were only a few people left that had to board onto the ship. That was fast. Most of the families were outside with their children, looking out towards the sea. They all looked so happy to leave. I figured that most of them were going to America to start new lives. England had been spiraling down for ages and people were bound to get tired of it.

The ship blew its loud obnoxious horn and began to move once all the people were onboard. All the people on deck were waving to all the others who were still on land. It was such a happy goodbye. I couldn't help but to feel a pang in my heart. No matter how much I tried to deny it, I knew what I wanted. Being a vampire meant that many privileges of life were taken away from you the moment you were bitten. You could still find love, regardless, but it just wasn't the same.

You couldn't raise a family. You couldn't see them grow. You and your spouse couldn't grow old together. You couldn't die together when you both grow tired of living. You couldn't meet each other in heaven, if there was even such a thing. Over time, a vampire would get over these facts and live on alone or with another vampire as a companion. But not I. Something held me back. I still craved for that sweet feeling to be alive. I was, of course, eternally gratefully for Carlisle's generosity, but I never dreamed that it would be like this. No, I am not miserable. I have yet to taste it. But have never known happiness. If I have, in my past life, I do not remember it.

Being taken in the prime of my life had cost me dearly. While I had grown wiser over the years, I still contained the mind of a seventeen year old. I longed for life and its wonders. I was still young at heart and ready for new types of attention. I had never experienced a relationship outside of the family, other than childhood friends. Most of them were taken by the Black Plague or had moved away when I was young. I never had time for the opposite sex anyway. Father was gone and mother was weak. My younger sister was too young to help out, so I was often stuck at home, helping our family get by. It wasn't much of a life, but seeing the smiling faces of my small family made it worth while. I can't even remember what they looked like; it was so long ago . . .

Most of the time, I got annoyed with female company. Most of the reason was because I couldn't do anything about it. Being a vampire didn't mean that you got over your desires. Some older vampires eventually learned to not mind the sudden urges for company, making them almost immune to the "lonely" life. As for the others, not so much. Going insane seemed to be the only other option.

So I admit, I'm lonesome. Emmett would kid around with me and call me Mr. Boo Radley. Unfortunately, I've read that book and have had the opportunity of knowing who that character was. Well, for one thing, I'm not a lonely old hermit who stays in an old rickety house for all of my life. Secondly, I'm not human.

But for the moment being, I looked out towards the sea and breathed in the salty sea air. Peace took over my quarreling mind and I enjoyed the moment of being alone. Something about the sea always calmed my nerves . . .

I rested my arms on boarder fence of the deck and stared out onto the lower outside deck, trying to ignore the disgusting smooching sounds coming from Emmett and Rosalie, who were obviously having a go at it. It must have taken them a while to find a spot where they could be alone. Apparently, I didn't count here.

I just chuckled softly at the kissing couple and looked back at the lower deck. Since the sun was setting, not many families were left outside. Only a couple of individuals were left. I spotted a small group of young adults, no older than I, standing at the front of the ship. It consisted of two males and one female, all of which seemed to be laughing and playing around. Hmm, looks like fun.

One male had short black hair that was covered by a commoner's hat. He was shorter than the other male, who had his back turned to me. But I wasn't concentrating on those two. The female caught my attention. She was rather pretty in my opinion, which was a first. I usually didn't rate females by their beauty, since most of them looked the same to me. This one was different. Her clothing wasn't anything to be proud of but it stuck to her figure well, showing off her curves. Her blouse was a V-neck, showing cleavage and, to my liking, her neck. How long and slender it was . . .

She had brown hair, almost like mine except mine had an unusual shade of bronze in it. Her hair grew out to the middle of her back, making it rather long. It was slightly messy but still well kept. I couldn't see the color of her eyes, for I was too far away. She had a kind, yet sarcastic face, one with humor in it. But that wasn't what struck as amazing in this woman.

I could hear her pulse from a mile away. It was so strong to me and I could almost hear her blood rush through her veins as her heart thumped slowly. The fragrance that came off of her seemed to seep through my pale, white skin. I lifted my head slightly and sniffed the air. Hmm, lavender. I sniffed again. Lilies. Honeysuckle.

If I could blush, I would. A stronger, sweeter fragrance illuminated from areas on her body that I wouldn't dare to look at in the presence of others, even from a distance. I resisted the urge to peak at those restricted areas but eventually it won me over. I hesitantly lowered my eyes below her belt. I sniffed slightly. Roses.

Emmett started laughing hysterically. I looked over, flustered. Had he been watching me this whole time? "He-he-he! Forget about it! You couldn't get to her if you even tried! No human blood while on the ship, remember? You hungry? Go get a sheep! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

I scowled. True, Carlisle remembered how hungry we can get over time, so he took a secret stash of farm animals and put them in the storage area for later. If anybody asked, we said that it was for when we got to America and that we planned to sell them for extra spending money. But after smelling that girl, I wasn't in the mood for goats.

It wasn't so much that I was "hungry" for her. I just . . . WANTED her. Yet again, she smelled very, very tasty. My mouth salivated at the thought. Her neck vein pulsed as she laughed with one of the men beside her, and I shook where I stood. It was so tempting to go and lure her into a dark corner, keeping her all to myself. But something held me back. I don't know whether it was my sanity or some other reason. Who was this girl?! This feeling is so . . . strong. I want to meet her . . . I'd kill somebody for it . . . I-I . . . I want her . . .

I grew more and more frustrated every second that I couldn't stand next to her. It almost killed me to watch her talk to those other two MALES . . . One seemed to be friendly to her but the other was suspiciously close to her. He might be her spouse. NO! Can't be. I . . . I won't believe it. They don't fit.

Suddenly, the girl yawned widely and said goodbye to the boy in the hat. He left, seeming to skip in every step. Good, one down, one left. I'll just wait for him to leave and I'll have her all to myself. Deep inside, I told myself to control my desire, but listening to my inner voice was boring. It always was. Couldn't I just have one night of fun? I gripped the border railing in front of me, preventing myself from jumping off the balcony and landing right in her arms. I grabbed on to it so hard, that my hands made print marks in the bars. My muscles pulsed violently while I waited for the chance to pounce. I never blinked.

The girl turned to the tall man beside her and looked him in the eyes. He stared back and neither said a word. Both were smiling at each other. Disgusting. This man was one piece of work. He was rather tall and had strong muscles. His hair was long and was put into a pony tail. Just as he turned around, his presence hit me hard in the face. As he walked, hand in hand with MY maiden, I felt a total, unexplained feeling of hatred towards him. My breath thickened and I curled my fingers in and out. For some strange reason, I wanted to kill him. I didn't care who saw. His stench offended me so much; I want to splash his blood against the wall. I wanted to bite him until he had holes all over his body. I wanted him to remove his hands from hers.

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**Well, I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! This is my first Twilight Fanfic so I hope you like it. – Dragondustbubblez**

**P.S. – I know you're probably wondering what CEREAJEB means. It's the first initials of Bella and the Cullens. **

**Ex. - Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, Jasper, Edward, Bella**

**I might rearrange the letters later and try to make a word. LOL If you come up with any ideas for a word, tell me in a review, kay?**

**Oh yeah, if any of you don't know what it's there for, it's like a jump to a different place in the story or a slight pause. **

**THANKS FOR READING:)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Lol, this is a LONG one. Enjoy! **

Chapter 2 – Catching a View

It almost killed me, watching those two walk back into the ship's warm interiors. There they were hand in hand, without a moment to lose. Without a care in the world! What about me? What was I supposed to do? I couldn't just stand here and watch that . . . that _thing _take my prey away. His size doesn't scare me. My speed and agility could out smart that toad any day, any time! Some companion he seemed to be to her.

I gripped the railing before me so tightly that my hands crushed the iron like tissue paper. Never before had my breathing sounded so coarse. My eyes were as black as coal, almost as dark as death itself. I longed for my prize and my inner voice wouldn't hold me back now.

While Emmett was too busy looking at the night sky with Rosalie, I silently jumped down from the deck I was on. I looked up at the couple I had just deserted. Just as I had expected. They were too into themselves to notice my escape. I looked towards the double doors before me, licking my lips with my cold, clammy tongue. I stalked up to the window slowly, keeping my murky eyes on the target in the blurry window image. The canines in my teeth enlarged and my mouth fell open like a lion's would.

Suddenly, as I was about to pounce, something grabbed my arms tightly and held me back; with only slight effort it seemed. I wasn't giving my best. Emmett was behind me, holding my arms around his. I sighed heavily and glared at my brother.

"Let me go, Emmett," I said as calmly as possible. "I've been patient enough." Emmett chuckled. "There's no way I'm letting you out of my sight. After I saw the way you looked at that human girl, I knew what you wanted. I assure you, you're not going to get what you want with me around." I chuckled sarcastically, looking at him with a lethal stare. "Dear Emmett, brother, I don't want her blood. I merely want to mingle with a little female attention." "Sure, sure."

Emmett let me go but still held me by one arm. For such a big pushover, he sure wasn't hard to fool. I sighed as I watched the girl I admired turn the corner inside the hall. I wasn't going to get what I wanted. I should have known that from the beginning. My eyes grew dim and blank as I calmed myself down. I haven't had a moment of vampire delirium like that ever since I was a new bred. Eventually, my hunger became tame and her scent fell from my trance.

The effect it left on me was unbearable. I narrowed my eyes and kept silent, keeping words to myself. Emmett looked at me with pity. Did I really look that depressing? If so, it wasn't hard to believe. I felt it.

My shoulders slumped slowly and my clenched fists relaxed. I had forgotten about breathing. I was myself again, only a little more remorseful. I looked upon my brother and sister, who still looked unsure. "It's alright," I said quietly, hoping the disappointment wasn't too obvious in my quivering voice. "I'm myself again. I'm not going to hurt anybody . . ." I lowered my head, saying no more. This was embarrassing.  
Emmett smiled slightly. "Come on," he said, "Let's go inside and get you some dinner. Your eyes are so dark! When was the last time you've fed yourself?" I lowered my voice eerily. "Longer than you think."

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It stank. That was all I could think at the moment as I advanced into the slums of the ship with Carlisle and Emmett. The only things down here, other than the farm animals we had, were the sewage pipes and barrels of age old brandy wine. Goats bleated as we walked by. I forgot how long it had been since I had eaten. I was ravenous.

"Look for a big one," said Carlisle, walking by my side. "Find an animal that'll tide you over for a week or two." Emmett called me from a distance. I walked over to find him pointing a fresh fat piglet that was brought on board. I shook my head. "No, not this one. It's too young. I want an older animal." Emmett giggled teasingly. "Still care for the living, huh? They're just _pigs_ Edward. Merely mud soakers with blood and meat." I looked over at Emmett, frowning at his sarcasm. "Excuse me if I have just a smidge of respect left for the living, unlike some people in this cesspool of a ship." Carlisle sighed and laughed quietly. "Never mind Edward, just pick one."

I looked around a bit more until I found something. An old billy goat looked like he was out of his time. Perfect. I pet the goat on his grizzly back, trying to calm him. This wasn't like hunting game in the mountains. These farm animals had no defense. I took a deep breath and smiled. I was going to enjoy this.

I opened my mouth widely, allowing my canines to get longer in size. Venom squirted excitedly from the tips of my teeth and I sank my fangs into the animal's side. It bleated and squirmed in protest but I held it down with my tight grasp. Eventually, it gave up the fight and I finished my meal. Once I sucked my last drop, I dropped the lifeless animal before its heart stopped beating.

I wiped my mouth, clearing my face away from excess blood and prepared to go back up to the upper decks. I was feeling much better and I felt my eyes grow a little warmer. They must have changed their color; a result from feeding. I wasn't exactly _full_, but it would last me for a bit.

It lifted my mood. Even Emmett's teasing didn't bring down my spirits. "Hey, Edward," mocked Emmett, his face full of humor, "tell Carlisle about your little love affair. You know, that one girl you almost made your dinner. Ha ha ha ha!" "Oh shut up, you big lummox." I replied, chuckling.

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While walking with Carlisle and Emmett, I looked around the hall we were surrounded by. The level we were on was the commoner's level, the dwelling place of all the non-nobles and families. Their rooms were nice and clean, by curtsey of my father, and the spaces weren't too crowded. Each room had a maid as well.

As we walked by, all eyes were on us. I guessed that these people weren't used to the presence of the rich. Some of the women and men blushed when looking upon our handsome features, while some just stared in wonder, gazing upon our newly cleaned clothes. Most were staring at me, and I began to check myself, looking for any blood that might have leaked from my mouth when I was feeding. None was there, so I continued to walk, but that didn't help my flustered nature.

I stopped suddenly as a familiar figure caught my attention. The brown haired girl from earlier was talking with some of the other passengers. She too, stopped and stared at us. When her eyes rested on me, they stayed there. She brought up a hand to her mouth in surprise as I caught her eye. I stood still in my spot, too stunned to move. I continued to stare in her deep, honey brown eyes. Her long, curled lashes brushed her cheeks when she blinked and her full lips were slightly ajar with awe.

She looked positively lovely to me. Now, because my hunger was partially gone, I could admire her beauty from a closer distance, but I was still cautious. There was no telling on how my desires would make me act.

For what seemed only moments, we held each other's gaze. I cocked my head unconsciously to one side in curiosity. She did the same. I couldn't help but to smile slightly. She looked incredibly cute when she did that. I didn't realize how much my smile affected her. She blushed brightly and closed her eyes, turning away and playing with her hair.

I noticed that I was standing in the middle of the room. My family had already reached the stairs to our left. I shook myself sub-consciously from my trance. What was I doing? I didn't have time to intermingle with human contact. I wanted to stay longer and lock eyes with this attractive female once more, but I didn't have time. Before I could even see her turn around, I walked away as if nothing had happened.

Walking away from her was harder than I thought. I wanted to study her some more. For some reason, I could hear the thoughts of everyone in the room; everyone except her. I couldn't read her thoughts. The more I thought about it, the more frustrated I grew. Her scent was even stronger than the last time I saw her. Her eyes . . . _oh_, where to begin? They looked so mysterious and fierce. Her face showed a character that I couldn't describe. It was almost demanding, yet it retained its softness.

I wanted to meet her. But I knew that that couldn't be so. I'd be too tempted to bite her. I could already feel the venom fill my teeth. She was something alright, but that still didn't compare to how I felt about her blood's scent. It's too dangerous for me to approach her. I'd just have to watch her from a distance. I walked into the elevator with my family, ignoring their curious looks, and waited for the elevator to stop at our floor.

"Edward," started Alice, her eyes ample with interest, "what took you so long down there?" I looked out into space at the moving walls in front of me and maintained an innocent look. "Just looking at my surroundings, Alice, just looking . . ."

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Once we arrived at the upper level, Esme straightened out my bow tie, making it unbearably tight and stuffy. It was always wonder to me about why some people actually enjoyed these outfits. I'd settle for a loose shirt and shorts.

People gathered all around us when we entered the dining room. The men, in their over-grown suits and cigars, surrounded Carlisle and congratulated him on his success in making Fang. Esme was surrounded by rich women over dressed in expensive jewelry. She seemed to enjoy it for the time being, seeing as how so much good smelling flesh was surrounding her. She must have had a hard time in keeping her "habits" to herself. I could have sworn that I saw her slightly lick her pale lips. She must have, because she wiped her mouth embarrassment. I chuckled quietly. She didn't have to do that. Esme was so quick that no one had noticed.

Alice was dragging Jasper by the hand, showing him the ocean's wonders through the large windows that were placed on the walls. It was a grand view. Jasper seemed to enjoy the openness. I could tell that he was rather content, because everyone else in the room began to become strangely calm. Jasper had the vampire ability of changing moods in a room by just forcing them to work by thought. The effect it had on the people in the roof was just enough to prove that this worked all too well.

Emmett and Rosalie were entertaining people with short stories, telling them to children who sat in the comfy chairs near the front doors of the dining room. They were obviously enjoying the couple's pretend rants and teasing. What human wouldn't? With Rosalie's undefined beauty and Emmett's manly, yet boyish, charm, they made quite the couple.

As usual, I was left with the young ladies, each one hoping for a chance to be alone with me. None of them were going to get that chance. "Hello, sir," one said flirtatiously. "May I ask for such a lovely man as yourself to kiss my hand?" She held out the back of her hand, expecting me to take it. "You've got to be kidding me," I thought. "There's just no way . . ."

Unfortunately, Esme saw me and gave me a slight disapproving look. I read her thoughts, unwillingly. _"Be nice, Edward."_

Sighing, I took the young lady's hand in mine and brought it to my lips. Kissing slowly, I took in the scent of her skin. Rich blood. I was much too used to this. It all smelled the same in here, no matter who it was. Everyone either had the blood of an aristocrat or a big booming business man. I could remember the taste of one too. The aristocrat's blood was slightly sweet but had a twist of sourness inside. Not my favorite. The greedy business men tasted like a musty, tangy-sweet nougat. Not for the weak of heart. True, it had been a while since I've tasted the sweetness of the addictive taste of human tissue, but I remembered it like my own name.

"Ladies, shall we?" I asked, putting on my best dazzling face and holding out both arms for them to take. Two of the pushiest females took my arms in theirs, smiling widely, while the others looked at them with envy and followed close behind me.

It wasn't hard to trick these young women with my charms, despite how annoyed I was getting. Vampires looked absurdly pretty, regardless of our emotion at the time being. To some, it's a great advantage. To me, it was a curse. For once, I wished that I could frighten someone away; let them see me for who I really was. I felt like some child's doll, dressed up in these garments fit for kings. For once, I wished that someone could scowl at me and never hide their emotions from me. If wasn't afraid to look angry in front of someone, someone else should be able to do the same to me.

Alas, I forget that it's impossible. They didn't call me a pretty boy for nothing . . . "Edward, what's it like being the son of someone as wealthy as Carlisle?" said one of the ladies attached to my arms. It snapped my out of my thoughtful phase and for this I was unthankful. "Well," I started, "It's a rather privileged life, I must say. So much time, so little to do, you know?" "Do you need something to do? We've got time . . ." I stopped in my place, looking at the two women beside me. Both had dangerous, alluring looks in theirs eyes, smiling devilishly. If only looks could kill . . .

I looked at them, cautiously, beginning to back up slowly. There was just no way that they could think that they could get their way with me that quickly. I wasn't like that. Dare I read their minds?

I tried it, only to regret it. I wouldn't dare to repeat any of their thoughts to anyone. My own mother would faint if she heard such things. I backed up quicker, pulling my pant's buckle a little tighter. These ladies looked like they were out for the kill, or better yet, a target; me. I had to come up with something.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry ladies," I said with great sympathy. It was fake, but it seemed to be working. "I think I heard my father calling me, please excuse me. I'll see you all later tomorrow. I think I feel a bit sea sick, so I'll be heading to bed." I turned on my heel, walking as casually as I could. Just to be curious, I read their thoughts again. _"Oh dear . . . I thought we had something." "Should I follow him?" "He's so mysterious . . ." "He walks so gracefully. I wonder if he knows how glorious he really is." "Wow, he has such a nice rear." _I closed my eyes in embarrassment, fighting the urge to cover my behind. They're STARING at it . . . _"I wonder if he gets lonely at night? Where's his room?" "How good is he in bed?" "I don't think he was enjoying his time with us. He might have interest in men instead . . ."_

I fought a laugh as I walked over to Carlisle. These women were hopeless. Interest in men? Wow . . .

"Carlisle," I started, taking him momentarily from his conversation with the business men, "I think I'll turn in early. I'm getting tired of all this attention." Carlisle smiled understandingly, seeing the line of females behind me. "Hehe, okay Edward. We'll see you in a couple of hours."

Finally, I was free from that dreadful party, if that's what you wanted to call it. All the small talk and casualties were driving me up the wall. It was good to be alone for once. Now, I could search for what **I **wanted to see.

I went to our quarters, and advanced to my room. I took a look in my dresser and tried to find something less fancy. Everything was either suits or underwear. Not what I had in mind. I didn't want to walk down the halls of the commoners looking like I didn't belong. I took a look at my sleeping gown, which was rather outgoing looking. I figured that would be enough. Between the outfits of the normal people and the wealthy people's pajamas, there wasn't much of a difference.

I grabbed what I could and made my hair slightly messy by running a hand through it. I looked a little too clean to be common but it would have to do. I grabbed my coat and hat and walked out the door, heading for the lower level.

CEREAJEB CEREAJEB CEREAJEB CEREAJEB CEREAJEB CEREAJEB

What surprised me at first was how loud it was on this level. All the families were talking and laughing loudly, drinking cheap but strong bear. Children of all ages were running around and playing with toys that they had brought along with them. Most of them seemed to be playing a catching game. I had no idea what it was called.

"You, young man," I called out to a young boy who looked no older than five. He came up to me, his face flushed from running so much, smiling playfully. I got leveled with him and put on a friendly face. It wasn't hard to do. He turned out to be a fairly cute little boy, which was saying a lot because I often wasn't very fond of children. Most of the children I knew were snotty and spoiled.

I lowered my voice a bit, hoping that none of the adults would hear my curious, childish question. "What's this game you're playing with the others?" The boy looked up and smiled widely at me. "It's called tag! When one of us is it, we have to touch someone else in the game and then they're it! Then, so you don't get picked next, you run away when that person chases you." "Is . . . is it fun?" "Yeah! You wanna play with us?" I smiled sympathetically. "I'm sorry. It sounds like fun, but I'm a little mission." The little boy's eyes lit up with bright inquisitiveness. "A mission?" "Mm-hmm." "What is it?" "I'm looking for someone." "Really? Is it someone bad? Like cops and robbers?" "Hehe, not quite." "Are you on an adventure? You know, like running in the forest like a hunter?"

I chuckled. This child had quite an imagination. Cops and robbers? Hunter? What were these parents teaching their kids these days? I smiled brightly at the boy and replied. "Not quite! I'm looking for a lady." The boy sat down on the floor and listened closely. All the other children he was playing with found him and sat with him, eager to hear my story. I admit, I was getting a little scared. I had never been surrounded by so many children before. All of them had the smell of innocent blood, a delicacy in vampire taste. It was rare to find blood like this. But, for once, that wasn't what I was thinking about.

All the kids watched me with wide eyes as I told the story. Maybe I could stretch the story a bit, just to make things interesting. I read their minds and I could tell that they were all into it, so keeping their attention wouldn't be too hard. Maybe it was because I looked like something out of a faerie tale after all.

"Are you from a castle?" asked the youngest one. "You look like a prince." Hm, like I said. I smiled sheepishly. "I'm no prince but thank you for the comment. No, I am just a regular man on this ship, making my way around this area." I'm such a liar . . .

"You said you were looking for a lady. Is she a princess?" "Is she pretty?" I looked up at the ceiling, dreamily. "Oh yes," I replied, being slightly light-headed. "She's beautiful. A goddess almost . . . at least to my eyes. Words aren't enough to describe her." Words really weren't enough. The effect she had on me was immeasurable.

"Wow," said one older girl, holding her hands under her chin in wonder. "I'd sure like to meet her. She sounds wonderful." "I would too," I said in agreement. "That's why I'm going to look for her." I smiled with confidence. "I hope you find her," said the boy I met first. "Are you guys gonna get married and have kids? My mum's got lots of kids." I sighed. If only it were that simple. I'd just have to improvise until I got too depressed by this discussion. "I'm . . . I'm not sure. She might not feel the same way. I'll just have to wait and see." I got up and stretched a bit. I didn't realize how long we've been sitting.

"Please mister! Don't go!" pleaded the children in unison. "Tell more stories!" I looked upon the beseeching children before me, all of them below half my height. "I'm sorry, but I have to part with you all for now," I told them nicely. "I promise, I'll be back sooner than you think." The children smiled at my pledge and ran back over to their playing spot. The little boy I met earlier said goodbye shyly and ran off with the others.

I really did promise. I actually enjoyed my time here, which was a first. It was so nice to have people be themselves around me. No having to be extremely polite or quiet. Everyone was so joyful and merry. No business was being passed around and no one seemed to be in a big hurry. The urge to play tag with the children was dragging on me. Only my years of so called "proper" experience training stopped me. I knew it would only embarrass me.

I headed for the stairs, but stopped in my tracks. Right at the edge of those stairs was _her_ . . . Funny . . . I had forgotten to look for her once I got distracted and here she is now. I had forgotten to blink. Normally, vampires don't have to breathe or blink, but whenever she was around, it felt necessary. Her scent caressed my nostrils like the softest velvet. Her heart beat brought life to mine, though mine was dead to begin with.

She was talking to one the men I had seen her talking to when I first laid eyes on her. It was the one with the man with the pony tail, my enemy . . . I didn't feel as much hate for him as I did before but I still felt suddenly violent around him. His stench was awful.

Suddenly, both humans turned to look at me. The man just looked back at the girl, ignoring me. The girl tried to continue to listen to the man beside her, but she couldn't keep herself from glancing over at me. The man looked at me when she did and seemed to become frustrated. Surprisingly, he grabbed her by the arms forcefully. I heard him say something to her. "Bells," he said annoyingly. "I hate it when you do that. Keep your eyes on me when I talk to you." The girl seemed unresponsive and looked the other way. The man shook her a little more. "Bella! Listen to me . . ." The girl closed her eyes. She looked fearful.

I growled inside my throat. Whoever this bastard was, he was mistreating my maiden. She obviously didn't like what he was doing. If only I could do something, but it would be meddling and Carlisle had always told me to stay out of human matters at all times.

As I continued towards the stairs, the couple grew quiet at my entrance. I couldn't hear much, because they had begun to whisper. I heard a little bit of what the girl was saying. "Don't force me to do this, Jacob. I'm not your slave." That was the first time I had ever heard her voice. How feisty it was. Interesting . . . I liked it.

So Jacob was this man's name. But more importantly, I wanted to know the name of this girl. Jacob seemed to call her "Bells" but I wanted to know her full name. It was only respectful of course.

Just then, Jacob glanced at me and looked at me suspiciously. He leaned in closer to the girl and whispered in her ear. The girl nodded and Jacob left her alone. I started up the steps on the stairs, but took one more look at the girl. Much to my surprise, she was looking at me too. I looked away quickly, trying to conceal the butterflies in my stomach. I looked back to see if she was still looking, but I was too high up to see her.

That was dangerous. I almost got too close to her. I could have been blinded by her sweet scent, making me ravenous in rage and hunger. How could this girl affect me so much? I began to run up the stairs, keeping myself from turning around. Eventually, her smell disappeared and I gained my control back.

Suddenly, the elevator opened up. I looked over to see who it was. It had only been about an hour and a half since the dinner so it was still fairly early. I was expecting one of my brothers or sisters to come through. I sighed and waited for the scolding of Alice or the teasing of Emmett to come. Instead, I got something completely different.

Just a soon as he had left, Jacob came through the elevator doors. What was HE doing here? This was the first floor. Was he a noble too? Couldn't be . . .

He caught my eye and looked me up and down in disproval. I did the same. He smelled even worse up close. I hated to be prissy and all, but I figured that I should be polite. Jacob approached me and stuck his hands in his pockets. I hesitantly held out one of mine.

"Hi," I said, hiding my snarl. "I'm Edward." Jacob looked at my palm as if it were a pile of slugs. So is that how you're going to be? Two can play that game . . .

"Jacob," he replied. "Jacob Black's the name. Don't wear it out." "Yeah, hate you too, asshole," I thought, hearing his thoughts. We weren't going to get along were we? I thought I might as well skip the pleasantries. "Look," I started, "It's obvious that you don't like me very much. Big news, I don't like you either. So, why don't you tell me who you are?" "Like you'd believe me. Your head's probably too filled with arrogance that you wouldn't understand a word I say." "Oh, I'm arrogant? At least I don't treat my ladies like bitches."

Jacob growled deeply. It sounded rather threatening. I chuckled to myself. I've made him angry. "You stay out of this. That's between me and her. You have no say in this, creep." "You're right. It isn't my business. But I still have yet to know who YOU are." Jacob smiled mischievously. "Well, well, aren't we curious? Since we both want to know, why don't we take a whiff of each other." Oh joy, I was going to enjoy this . . .

I went into my fighting stance, just to be careful. Jacob did the same. I got closer to him, holding my breath for what seemed like hours. My eyes grew dark and narrow, looking at my unknown enemy. Finally, I took a sniff and he did the same. We both stepped back and held our noses in disgust. I growled. "So, that's who you are. I would have guessed. You did smell like dog shit."

"That doesn't compare to your sewage sack of rotten flesh. I could barf." I bared my sharp teeth in rage, snarling. "Watch yourself, wolf," I warned. Jacob chuckled darkly and looked at me with scorching eyes. "Same to you, leech."

After one last glare, we went our separate ways. So this was what I was dealing with. My maiden was being held hostage by this _dog_. I had to save her somehow. All I could think as I proceeded through the halls was that that girl was in danger. But one question remained. How could I save her from the strong, evil clutches of this raging and severely vigorous werewolf?

* * *

**Hey, I looked at the reviews and someone actually put up some suggestions for a story stopper! (That's my term for a space inbetween a story. You know, CEREAJEB and so on . . .) I like the ones that you put out, tswiftfan13. They were pretty funny! LOL Thanks for the suggestion! Just for that, I'll put some of them into the next update, so look out for it! - dragondustbubblez **

**P. S. - True, Edward is a little OOC sometimes in my story and I apologize for that. I'm trying to bring out his character as best as I can! If I'm doing a terrible job at it, let me know and I'll use Twilight as a guide to my writing. Thanks. Also, I wasn't sure if the sharp part of your teeth were actually called canines or something else. Please forgive me if I messed up on that! bows constantly anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing:) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Lol, sorry this took so long! Hope you enjoy it! **

Chapter 3 – Meet My Match

I paced back and forth inside my room, with my hands behind my back. So questions ran through my head, and I sought out to answer them. But most of them remained unanswered. How would I save that girl? How would I defeat a werewolf? Sure, I could call my family for help and kill the beast once and for all, but this battle was between him and me only. I wasn't going to let Esme's calm nature talk me out of this one.

For the moment, I was enjoying the alone time I was receiving, but alas, I knew that the others were due back anytime now.

"Edward!" cried out Alice from behind the door. "Are you in there?"

I chuckled lowly at her eager voice. "Yes Alice," I replied. "Come in."

"Edward, where were you all this time? You missed the speech given by Carlisle. It was wonderful. Also, you should have seen Jasper when . . ."

I lost interest in what she was saying and looked out my window. It was still very dark outside, and it looked welcoming.

"Hey," said Alice, barging into my thoughts. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Of course," I said, faking a smile just to tease her.

"Oh sure you are. And the window's more fascinating than I am?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that. I just thought I saw a dolphin."

"You know Edward, you've got a good head on your shoulders, but you can be a real wise-ass sometimes."

"Ha ha, I'll take that as a complement."

Alice pouted and gave up on trying to get me to listen to her long stories. I felt bad for her so I promised her that I'd listen to her story tomorrow. It was just that tonight wasn't the night. For once, I was actually worried about something. Deep inside, I knew it was unhealthy for me to worry on about things that were out of my control and, more importantly, not my business.

Carlisle came into my room and greeted me. I, in return, nodded towards him to let him know I acknowledged him. He closed my bedroom door behind him and sat on a nearby couch.

"Edward," he began, sincerely. "You can't keep running away from us like this anymore. I understand that you have a lot on your mind, but that's no reason to ignore us."

"Carlisle," I started, feeling a bit guilty, "I'm not trying to get away from you personally. I just need some space right now."

"And what happened to the Edward I knew ten years ago? Ever since we've gotten on this ship, you've been uptight about everything. I thought you wanted this. Ever since I first brought you up, you've dreamt of sailing on a ship like this. Now I get the feeling that this is a waste of time."

"No, father, I love this ship. It's exciting! Really! I just . . . . well, I encountered something today, and I'm restless."

"Tell me about it. Maybe I can help somehow."

" . . . . . . I . . . I think I'm attracted to someone on this ship. Her scent drives me mad. I-I can't get her out of my mind. I'm afraid that I'm no longer myself because of that. I wish to meet her, but I . . . I don't know how."

"Well, it's not uncommon for a vampire to fall for a human, but you must not mistake this for hunger. Pursuing your desires will only make you miserable in the end. I suggest you forget her and move on. Humans are only cause for trouble in this sort of thing."

"Are we any different from them? We vampires are as troublesome as humans are. The only way to figure out if it's worth it is to meet her myself."

"Edward, you know that meddling with a human will result in us being figured out by society and her death. It is all folly. Maybe you should rethink your decisions. Perhaps, when we reach shore, you'll find another vampire to make you happy. Besides, the Americas have much more to offer than you think."

"Hmph . . . I don't really care where I go. All those of our kind are the same. I promise you, I won't be interested."

"Well, time will only tell. Anyway, I was wondering. Who is it that you desire on this ship?"

"Ah, if only I could know her name. She has long brown hair and fierce eyes. Something about her just . . . gets me right here, you know? Oh, if only I knew her name. How lively she looks to me, yet she still retains much innocence. I wish to speak to her, but she dwells on the common level of this ship."

"That's remarkable. A rich vampire falling in love with a common woman. You'll change history. I thought you had tastes in wealthy women."

"Carlisle, money isn't all that matters to me. I grow tired of it in fact. I almost wish to be common myself."

"Edward! Don't say such things. You are privileged here and yet you never take advantage of what you have. I swear, you'll be giving your money away by the ton!"

I grimaced at my father's angry remark. Why couldn't anyone understand how I felt about this way of life? I walked out of my room, leaving my father behind to ponder on about my actions. I didn't care; I needed some fresh air anyway.

After going into the elevator, I arrived at the top level and walked out of the double doors dividing the inside from the out. The air was crisp and cool, just the way I liked it when I was in a bad mood. The stars shined brightly and the moon was nothing but a crest shape. I leaned against the railing bars on the edge of the ship, and sighed heavily.

Suddenly, in the distance, I could hear a faint noise. It was soft, but noticeable. I realized that it was closer to me than I thought. I looked around, trying to find the source of the noise. About two yards away from me, I found a girl leaning over the railing with her face hidden under her crossed arms. Her shoulders were shaking. It was then that I realized that she was weeping.

I walked over to her, feeling deep sympathy for her suddenly. I hung over and tried to take a peek at her face. She didn't know I was there, so I decided to initiate contact. I gently tapped her soft shoulder.

"Excuse me miss," said sincerely, trying to be as calm as possible, which was hard, because her scent was rather strong. Then it hit me. Could it be . . . . her? No, it can't be . . .

"A-Are you alright? You're not hurt are you?"

The girl looked up at me. It WAS her! Her brown eyes were sparkling with large tears. I immediately felt depressed at the sight. But, because I was so close to her, I must have shocked her. She jumped when she spotted me, and turned her back to the railing, trying to lean against it further as if she were trying to push herself into a corner.

"W-Who are you? What do you want?" she asked frantically, trying to wipe her tears away.

As I tried to answer her, I couldn't help but to stutter a little. Her aroma was so overpowering and she looked even more beautiful up close. I could have fainted if I had the chance.

"I – I'm sorry, I . . . I just saw you crying there and . . . well, I just thought . . ." I was lost for words. I knew what to say, I just couldn't put it into speech. Instead, sub-consciously, I did something worse. I walked towards her getting closer, as I tried to explain why I was here. She didn't take it very well.

"S-Stay back!" she yelled. "Don't come near me. I'll . . . I'll . . ."

Suddenly, she leaned back too far on the railing and flipped over it. Just before she fell off the ship, she grabbed the edge of the railing, screaming. I ran to her aid quickly, without thinking.

"Help me!" she yelled, fresh tears falling from her eyes. Instantly, I held out my hand for her to grab.

"Grip my hand!" I yelled back. "It's alright, trust me! I'll help you up!" She looked at my hand in hesitation, but then closed her eyes tightly and grabbed my hand. With the greatest of ease, I pulled her up with both hands and brought her back onto the ship. I cradled her in my arms and let her catch her breath.

"There now," I said, looking at her face. "Safe and sound." I smiled at her as she looked into my eyes. She blushed and looked away. I suppressed a laugh as I felt her heart beat race. I felt her shivering against my cold skin, so I put her down and put my hands in my pockets coolly. The girl readjusted her self and faced me.

Just as she was about to say something to me, we heard a low, strong voice calling her name. Of course, it had to be HIM.

"Jacob," said the girl, running to him. She wrapped her arms around him. He was obviously confused. I growled inside my throat as he spoke to her.

"Bells," Jacob began, "why are you out here so late? You could get kidnapped." His eyes lifted up in my direction. I narrowed mine in response.

"Say, Bells," he said, his eyes still dangerously on mine, "this guy isn't bothering you, is he?"

"Oh no!" she claimed. "He . . . he saved my life. I . . . kinda fell off the railing. He pulled me back up."

Jacob's face changed slightly. He came closer to me, and I unconsciously wrinkled my nose. He still smelled as awful as ever. After he looked me over for a second, he held out his hand. I looked at his heavy and large palm, wondering whether or not to shake it. The girl was watching, so I figured that I might as well.  
His hand gripped mine tightly, and it was painfully warm. I searched his thoughts. "_Can't take the heat, can you bloodsucker? Stop reading my thoughts you nosy-ass leech." _

I shook his hand and quickly let go. I could tell that the girl beside me could feel the tension in the air, so she spoke.

"Uh," she began, awkwardly. "This is my fiancé, Jacob. And you are?"

"Edward," I introduced to her, bowing slightly. "Edward Cullen. It's a pleasure to meet you." I took her hand in mine and kissed it slowly, taking in the flowery odor coming from her veins. Jacob looked at me with the utmost loathing, and gently pushed the girl away from me.

"Come on Bells," he said softly. "Let's get you inside before you catch a cold." I stood in my spot, watching him take her away once more. I found that despite how Jacob kept pushing her forward, she kept trying to look back at me. When I caught her eye, I waved goodbye to her and raised the corner of my mouth, attempting to smile.

BEERJACE BEERJACE BEERJACE BEERJACE BEERJACE BEERJACE

"Edward, you're looking cheery all of a sudden," said Esme, who was sitting on the couch next to Carlisle, who was intrigued by a small book. I sat down next to Jasper, who seemed to know what I was feeling. I could have sworn that I saw him hold in a giggle.

Alice came up behind me and gave me a hug. I hugged her back and tickled her sides. She giggled loudly and begged me to stop. Once she caught her breath, she faced me with a wide smile.

"It's great to have you back Edward. We missed you."

"I've been here all along."

"You know what I mean. You haven't been the same since you've come onto the ship. This is the Edward we've wanted. Where did you go?"

"It doesn't matter now. I'm feeling much better."

Carlisle stood up and looked at me with disbelieving eyes. I was getting the impression that he was still superstitious about me.

"So you've finally put that problem of yours to rest, huh?" he asked me, looking at me as if he were trying to see straight through me. I knew he meant well, but it was a bit bothersome. I had to lie to him somehow. I could already see how concerned he was and I didn't want to make it worse.

"Yes, Carlisle," I said, smiling as best as I could. "I've put it behind me. I'm no longer concerned about it."

"Are you sure? You can talk to me about it if it's still bothering you."

I chuckled. "Yes, Carlisle, I'm pretty sure." He sighed and smiled at me. Even Esme began to look less fretful. Carlisle put his arm around my shoulder and told me about the things I missed at the dinner party. Since daylight was almost here, we all shut the windows and locked our doors. Lighting the candles, Rosalie was greeted from Emmett from behind. He put his arms around her thin waste and walked with her to their room.

I waited for everyone to go to their rooms and get settled. Esme embraced me in her arms and kissed my forehead. She wished me a good morning and went to her room with Carlisle.

I shut my bedroom door and lit my candles. I walked over to my piano, which was by my desk, and sat at the bench in front of it. I felt so inspired to make something today. I had so many ideas that I didn't know where to begin. I had never felt this way before about a mere human. A human whose scent massaged my nose like the softest of down feathers.

I wanted to see her again, know her full name, and see her up close. I wanted to sketch her into my most precious drawing book. I wanted to write her a song. I wanted to feel her smooth, tepid skin beneath her clothing. I wanted to hold her close.

It was then that I realized that this was impossible. How could she fall for me? She obviously loved the wolf more than I. I couldn't just take that away from her. Besides, it would be much too dangerous for me to woo her, for the day she would be with me might be her last. Just like Jacob, I'm too dangerous for such merriment.

As I played a somber tune on the piano, I thought to myself, isn't there any hope for me? Will I be able to hold her in my arms? Probably not, but maybe something else to erupt from spending time with her. She is a part of my life now and nothing could erase that from my memories. Perhaps, I could become nothing more than a mere companion to her. In my mind, it wouldn't be enough, but it would calm my way of thinking. It would be for both our sakes.

It was then I realized that I should avoid her at all costs if I ever felt the way I did the first time I saw her. But, if I was in the tranquil mood that I was in now, I could face her without making a fool of myself. Later, if she ever was available, I would make my move. Until then, I shall approach her with the utmost serenity and secrecy. The first step in my plan is to know her name.

BEERJACE BEERJACE BEERJACE BEERJACE BEERJACE BEERJACE

Evening, or twilight as we vampires called it, came closer and closer. I dressed out of my sleepwear and dressed into something more outgoing. Tonight, I vowed to find that girl I fancied and learn her name. Of course, I would take the most caution possible when facing her. I will only stand so far next to her or I could become overpowered by her fragrance. I would limit my words, in hopes to hide who I really am. I shall avoid her eyes from time to time, to keep myself from drowning in them.

It would all work out; I promised myself this. I walked out of my room with my sketch book in hand. Carlisle was sitting in the living room, going through the family finances.

"Oh, hello Edward," he said kindly. "Where are you going?"

"I'd like to go out and draw in some new material for my sketch book. I figure that the sunset is the first thing that I should draw."

"Alright, have fun. Be back before the sun rises again."

I was curious about something before I left, so I had to ask. It would be aching for me to have a diversion in the way while pursuing the one I admired.

"I'm curious," I began, facing the door. "What are Alice and Emmett doing?"

Carlisle looked up at me. "Well, I think Rosalie and Emmett are watching a television broadcast together and Alice and Jasper are playing a board game. Esme's resting her eyes. Why'd you ask?"

"No reason, really. I just want you to do me a favor. Please don't tell them where I am. I'd like to be alone for a while, just to get a feel of the sunset for a moment before I draw."

"I understand. I'll keep them away." Carlisle went back to his papers and let me pass.

Hopefully I didn't come out too late. I couldn't go out during the day because my skin would have shined unnaturally bright in the sunlight, causing others to ask unnecessary questions. At twilight, I was safest.

As I walked along the commoner's level, I went outside to find many people still on deck. People were sitting on benches with their children, telling stories and laughing together. Oh, how peaceful it was out here. The perfect place to sketch . . .

I chose a spot by the railing and watched the sun set closer to the sea. When it was in just the right spot, I began to draw, outlining the whole picture. Just then, I looked to my side and found HER. I didn't even have to look. Just like me, she was looking out into the sunset. She looked so peaceful and calm as she watched the waves go in and out along the vast ocean. I guessed that she didn't see me, so I would have to go to her. But before I could, I accidentally dropped my pencil into the water. I must have been so distracted by her that I had let go of my utensil.

"Dammit," I cursed softly and I tried to see if I dropped it on board instead. Nope. It was gone. The girl must have heard me, because she came to my side.

"Hello," she said, "um, did you drop something?"

"Yes, my sketching pencil. I think it went into the ocean."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Hey, you're Edward, right?"

I looked over at her and stared for a moment. Why did it take me so long to answer?

"Uh, yes, that's me."

"Oh, I wanted to thank you for . . . uh, saving my life."

"It was no problem at all. It was my fault. I shouldn't have startled you. I'm sorry."

"Oh no, it's alright! It was an accident."

"Oh, by the way, I never caught your name. May I ask what it is?"

"My name is Isabella Swan."

"It's a pleasure to meet you once again Isabella. You have such a beautiful name."

"Oh, thank you. You're very kind, but please, call me Bella. So, what brings you to the common levels of this magnificent ship?"

Was she being sarcastic? It sounded like it. In a way, it was pretty arousing.

"Well," I answered her, "I wanted to come onto this level to sketch the sunset. It's rather stunning at this time of day. It's just an old hobby of mine."

"That's pretty cool. May I see your drawing book?"

"Okay then, here."

Bella looked over my drawings and her eyes lit up with enthusiasm. She seemed to enjoy the sketches I had taken down over the years, and I was glad for that. Maybe this meant that we had some common ground after all.

She gave me back my book and smiled brightly. I awkwardly looked to the ground as I thought of something else to say to her, which was harder than it should have been.

"Bella," I began, looking straight into her eyes. "Would you like to take a walk with me around the ship?"

"Sure," she said as she took her place by my side. I kept my distance from her, though I wanted to get closer and closer. As we walked slowly, I began to wonder, what should I say to her? Where should I begin?

"So," I started. "Where's Jacob?"

* * *

**Well, that's it for now. I wrote this all within 3 hours so hopefully it wasn't too bad. Please REVIEW!!!! XD**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Crossing Paths

Chapter 4 – Crossing Paths

I shivered. Her scent was so strong that I couldn't really concentrate on words alone. It took all my will power to continue to allow words to escape my lips, without risking her life in the process. Perhaps the sea's airy breath kept me sane. So, I gradually let myself to speak.

"So, Bella," I said to the girl beside me, trying to sound more pleasant than desiring. "What brings you to this ship? My father loves hearing the opinions of his passengers."

Bella looked into my eyes for a moment. I could hear her heartbeat grow faster every minute. Her cheeks grew hot every second she didn't answer me. She seemed speechless for some reason. Did I frighten her that much?

"Oh," she claimed, blinking out of her phase. "Sorry, I was . . . thinking about . . . umm . . . I came on this ship to come back home to my father, Charlie. He plans to see me and my fiancé before . . . before . . ."

"Before what?" I asked softly, already dreading her answer.

"M-Marriage."

Ah, so she was to be married. I fought the falling feeling in the pit of my stomach. But I wondered, who was this mysterious man in her life?

"Who's the lucky fellow?" I asked as nicely as I could, though I could take a wild guess at who it was.

She smiled sadly.

"His name's Jacob Black."

I fought the urge to vomit. So it was true; that werewolf was her companion, soon to be wed. But something in her voice wasn't as enthusiastic as a soon-to-be-wed woman should.

"You don't sound very excited," I claimed, not hesitating to be impolite this time.

"I am, I am," she repeated. "It's just . . . it's so sudden. It seemed like only yesterday, we had just met, though it had been about a year."

". . . Do you love him?"

"Excuse me?"

"Do you love him?"

"What kind of a question is that? Of course I like him. He's my fiancé!"

"I didn't ask if you LIKED him. I asked if you LOVED him.

"That's . . . that's none of your concern."

"Then what do you LIKE about him then?"

"Well, he . . . he's humorous and a bit reckless and . . . he protects me very well. He'll be a great addition to my family."

"Why are you getting married so early then? I should think that things like this take time."

"It's a long story . . ."

"I'll listen."

"No, it's just . . . _Why_ are you so interested?"

"Because, you happen to interest me. Also, I enjoy a long story from time to time, if you get my drift."

That was only partially true, but I had a feeling that this would keep my eyes open. Bella continued to walk with me, twiddling her delicate fingers. I kept a sharp ear on her blood pressure. It frightened me when her heart skipped a beat every time she looked up to my face. It happened so often, I thought her heart was going into arrest. I waited patiently for her to speak, despite my hidden worry.

"My father's poor," she started, obviously uncomfortable. Was it because she was common and I was rich?

"He lives in America and can barely get ends meat for himself. My mother is no longer married to him because of family issues and money. She went to England and Ireland to earn a job in business. I haven't seen my father in years, so she sent me to him. I'm taking Jacob with me because . . . because . . . he can help my father if I get married to him. Jacob's father owns a railroad company in the West and earns a fortune. He's also a good friend of my father and is only willing to give us money in the proper way."

She had to get married for her father. As kind as that sounded, it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"But . . . you shouldn't marry for money," I said. "It's not your concern. You should choose who YOU want to marry."

"Edward, I-I have no choice."

"Why?"

"I . . . I don't know. It's not important. Why do you care?"

How could I answer that? Of course, I couldn't relate to her. I was free to be with whomever. But I had seen this in the communities close to where I dwelled. Girls as young as five years were already planned to marry a certain boy. It was rather sickening.

"Because," I replied confidently, "it's what I always see back at my home. It's rather tiring to see things like that all of the time. It's like . . . being trapped, I figured. I'd hate to have to go through that."

Bella looked sadly in my eyes, her cheeks overflowing with heat. I understood her predicament, but still . . . she shouldn't have to suffer on her father's behalf.

"But don't get me wrong," she said to me quickly. "Jacob is a nice man. He's just . . . forceful sometimes. He's thrilled about the marriage, but . . ."

She looked down again, avoiding my eyes. I wanted her to bring them up again, so I could try to read her expression. It was so frustrating, not being able to read her thoughts. Who WAS this girl? How annoying; yet, how intriguing.

"What are you thinking?" I asked, not being able to hold in my curiosity and confused expression.

She didn't answer and continued to avoid my eyes. Why did she do that? I knew that she was a commoner, but no eye contact was a bit rude.  
"I hope you don't mind me asking, but, are you shy? I noticed that eye contact is not within your interest."

"Oh, it's nothing," she said, shuffling her feet. "It's just, y-your eyes . . . they're intimidating. I hope you don't mind me saying this but, the last time I laid eyes on you, your eyes were darker."

I gulped. I needed to be more careful around her. Hopefully, she didn't believe in vampires. But what I didn't understand was why my eyes were so intimidating.

"Why do my eyes affect you so?" I asked, turning my head, subconsciously curious. Well, I DID want to know more about her. She seemed to grow red every time I spoke. She was so different from other girls. She didn't gawk at me like a loony.

She stuttered and answered.

"Well, they're rather . . . interesting."

She turned away, looking embarrassed. I noticed that we had stopped walking on deck, and it was night already. Had we been negotiating that long? I figured that I had better get her to her room. Who knew what strange people lurked the deck at night.

"Well," I began, putting my hands behind my back, "we should get going. I'd hate for you to be out too late. Weird people come out at night you know."

"I can take care of myself," she whined. "I'm not a child."

"Heh, you are to me, I assure you in more ways than one . . ."

"You're not my mother; you don't have to worry about me sir."

"You're right. I'm not, but remember, WEIRD PEOPLE."

"You can talk. I don't even know you."

"And yet, you continue to talk to me."

"S . . . So!"

"So, what should we do?"

She paused, looking a bit frustrated. I could tell that she was disagreeable by nature, but beyond the annoyances, she was fun to anger.

"I'll," she began, trying to look taller. "I'll take myself! Besides, Jacob is waiting for me."

"Oh don't act so high and mighty," I included. "You are female. Even the most polite man could have the most devious thoughts. You'll be taken away before you knew it. I must accompany you to you cabin. As a gentleman, it would be highly rude if I didn't."

"But . . ."

"No butts please."

Sulking like a child, she walked beside me. I figured she would have run, but she was still walking with me. Though she tried to boast it, she didn't have much of a free will. I began to worry. Did she even take care of herself? Where was that werewolf when she was alone? In fact, she did look a little lonely . . .

I walked with her into the commons area. She shivered a little, even though it was warmer inside. I would have given her my coat, but seeing as how my skin was ice cold, it wouldn't have helped much.

Jacob happened to be around the corner. I growled in my throat as he came running over.

"What are you doing with her?! he spat at me. "Get your grimy, blood-sucking hands off of her!!"

"Jacob!" Bella yelled back. "Jacob, no!! It's okay! He just accompanied me to my cabin. He means no harm."

"But you don't know that! He could have been a . . . a . . . a pervert for all you know!"

"We were just talking! Jacob, please, not tonight . . ."

Jacob looked furious, but he still seemed to keep his cool. He motioned for Bella to go inside the room. She looked at me, thanked me, and left. Jacob eyed me evilly and followed Bella, slamming the door.

Just to be safe, I put my ear to the door, just to be sure that everything was okay. I listened in, looking for any signs of aggression. The talking was muffled, but understandable.

"Bella, you know better than to run off like that," complained Jacob. "I give you your privacy but you should stay closer to here."

"That's funny because, you've never had a problem with this before," Bella complained back. "If you want me to stay here, then you should be here more often as well. I never see you anymore!"

"Bells, you know I'm busy. My father is constantly sending me letters about the railroad and I have to tend to them. We have to help your father you know. This marriage is the only way!"

"I know! It's just . . ."

"I know, it's hard. But trust me. I'll be a good husband. I love you and I still will by time this is over. Once all of this is taken care of, we can have all the time in the world to ourselves."

"Why do I not believe you . . ."

"Trust me. It'll just be you and I. I'll just have to go on a business trip every once in a while."

Bella paused for a moment. I waited impatiently for her response. Jacob spoke instead.

"You know I love you, right?" he said softly. "I love you very much."

"I know," cooed Bella. "I just wish that . . . that . . ."

"I'll try to stick around more often, kay? I'll TRY. But I still can't see you on Friday nights."

"Will you ever tell me why?"

" . . . . . . . No. I can't do that, Bells."

I heard Jacob plant a kiss on Bella and they spoke no longer. I hated to admit it to myself, but it seemed like he really cared for this girl. But I couldn't help but let my prejudice get in the way. He was just a werewolf and nothing more. But if he really meant a lot to Bella, I'd have to leave him alone. But I vowed to protect her if Jacob happened to strike. Something about him was incredibly dangerous.

I went over to the elevator and rose up to the rich level. I needed to take Jacob's sickening scent off of me with a soothing bath. Hopefully, I could have the night to myself. On the way, I met up with Emmett, who wrinkled his nose.

"Whoa, Edward," he cried, "you run into a manure pile or something? You smell FOUL."

I came up with a quick answer, deciding to be truthful.

"Tell this to Carlisle and the others . . . there's a werewolf on board."

"What?! A werewolf? What's a werewolf doing here? Should we get rid of 'em?"

"No. It's not that simple."

"Come on. We can take him."

"No. Just keep an eye on him. That's all."

Emmett sighed, disappointed, and nodded.

"What's his name?"

"Jacob Black. Apparently, his father owns a railroad company, so he dwells on our level of the ship. He's tall, has his hair in a ponytail, and an ass-hole attitude. Take care in watching him; he could strike at any moment."

"Okay, I'll warn everyone else as soon as I see them. Carlisle will not be happy."

Emmett went inside the main living room with me and went to find Rosalie. I went to the nearby latrine and turned on the bath water. Using the soap provided, I vigorously scrubbed off Jacob's present scent.

Truthfully, I had hoped that Jacob was treating Bella poorly, just so that she could be with someone safer. Someone like . . . No, she couldn't possibly be with me. I was much too selfish and lustful. I wasn't any safer either. I hated myself for almost hoping for her danger for my pleasure. I sank into the water of the tub and closed my eyes, cursing my blood thirsty form. Oh how I craved to be human again. Oh how craved to remember, just for a moment, just to be with her . . .


	5. Chapter 5

**Enjoy this long chapter! It's my favorite so far. :) Don't forget to R&R.**

Chapter 5 – Lissom Toes

I wiped my mouth gently, erasing any evidence of bloodshed. The domestic boar that lay dead in front of me had been sucked dry and was now starting to decompose. I dragged the sorry carcass to secret opening in the ship. I opened the hatch and threw the pig's body into the shaft. It slid down quickly and landed outside into the ocean deep.

I looked in a nearby mirror to check my appearance. I've gotten better at keeping my clothing clean and I had only gotten spilt blood on the corner of my lips. I wiped it away with my handkerchief and went back up the commoner's deck.

I had snuck away again, dressed in my "common" costume, to the lower levels of the ship. Just for the occasion, I made sure that all hunger was gone so I could compose myself. I was looking for _her_. I wanted to see her more and more each day. I hadn't seen her in only a few days at least and already I was beginning to want her company.

The girls around me had their faces filled with flush when I walked around, but I was too busy at the time to care about their thoughts and wishes. I didn't know the room number of Bella, but I wouldn't give up. Perhaps she was around the main area.

No matter how much I looked, I could not spot the woman I wanted. Hesitantly, I gave up. She might have been on the outside of this ship, but I wasn't about to reveal my true self to find her. I cursed this body of mine for reacting so undoubtedly in the sunlight.

I took the ship's elevator and went up to my dwellings. Esme met me at the front door, looking flustered.

"Edward!" she cried. "Where've you been? We only have ten more minutes to get ready for your father's banquet!"

"Oh dear," I said, ducking my head in shame. "I-I forgot."

"Well hurry up dear! We haven't a moment to lose!"

I rushed into my room and put on my best suit. After grabbing my cane, I accompanied my family over to the banquet room.

CARJEJEB CARJEJEB CARJEJEB CARJEJEB CARJEJEB CARJEJEB

The room was filled with the stuffiest of the stuffed. The room smelled of overly done perfume and expensive cigar fumes. Were they trying to make a statement?

My family and I sat at a table in the middle of the room, along with the captain of the ship, a rich railroad owner, and his wife. The railroad owner, named Jebb, offered Carlisle a cigar, but he just shook his head. Alice sat close to Jasper, leaning against his shoulder lazily. Emmett played around with Rosalie's hair while she looked on.

My nose shivered with disgust as I turned to look behind me. Jacob was sitting at the table behind me, sitting with a couple of his friends and drinking what looked like whiskey. Bella was sitting beside him, tracing her finger along the table awkwardly. I shifted in my seat as she met my eyes. She looked away and blushed.

As my father continued to talk with other people, I kept my eyes on Bella. She eventually turned back to me and gave me weak smile. I gave her a full smirked smile, showing my teeth. She gasped a little as she saw them.

"Edward?" asked Emmett. "What are you looking at?"

I came up with a quick answer.

"Jacob's here."

"Really? Where?"

"Behind me. He has slicked back hair with a pony tail. When you see him, don't make it obvious."

Emmett quickly shifted his eyes over to Jacob. Thankfully no one suspected a thing. I remained silent until Emmett said something.

"That's him?"

"Yes."

"And that girl beside him . . . isn't that the woman you tried to pursue the other day?"

"Your point is?"

"Well?"

" . . . She's definitely interesting . . ."

"Edward, you didn't speak to her did you?"

" . . . . . And what's wrong with that?"

"We can't get anyone involved with us! That's not right, Edward. She's a human, and we're . . ."

"It doesn't matter, does it? Besides, she doesn't know that we're vampires. I wouldn't tell her for the world."

"She'll find out sooner or later."

I shrugged. I also told him to butt out of my business, nicely of course. He just told me that it WAS my business, but if she found out, she'd probably never speak to me again. It wasn't hard to believe that.

Once Carlisle gave his speech on the success of his ship, everyone was allowed to get up and dance to a waltz. I had no interest in dancing with anyone here. I only wanted to find a way to get Bella alone with me. I looked over to find her dancing closely to Jacob, their dancing a bit awkward than most. She seemed to enjoy it with him, just as he did. I just slouched against a marble pillar nearby and watched them prance across the dance floor.

Suddenly, Jacob heard his friend calling for him. Jacob told Bella something that she didn't seem to like. He kissed her cheek and left. Bella left the room, clearly upset, and went over to the stairway.

I decided to follow her, hoping that I could get a word with her. I found her sitting on the stairway, with her arms on the top or her knees with her head down. Her shoulders were shaking.

A gentleman from upstairs came down and tried to help her, but she only pushed him away. I decided in intervene.

"I'll take it from here sir," I said to the gentleman. "I'm a friend of her's."

Bella looked up at me and scowled, looking in the opposite direction. I sat down beside her, but still kept a good distance from her to keep me from getting tempted to bite her.

"Why are you crying?" I asked her gently. I didn't want to startle her. She looked stressed enough.

"It's . . ." she sniffed. "It's none of your concern."

"That's a poor thing to say considering that I'm trying to cheer you up."

"And . . . and how d-do you propose to that?"

"Perhaps a comfy chair and a drink of your choice."

Bella looked over at me and then looked to the ground. I got up and held out my hand to her.

"Come on. It'll be my treat. I promise, no trickery is involved here."

Bella took my hand slowly. I held her warm, soft and in mine. I sensed her shiver as she felt how cold mine was. Slowly, I pulled her up with ease and walked her over to a nearby restaurant.

We took a small table in the empty room and waited for a waiter. Bella continued to look troubled as she tried to wipe her tears away. I took a napkin from the table and softly dabbed at her eyes.

"There now," I said, putting the napkin back down. "Tell me . . . what's troubling you? You look terrible."

"It's not much to cry over," she wept. "I shouldn't be crying over something so shameful. Still . . . . . Jacob, he . . . he won't spend time with me."

"Is he still giving you trouble?"

"He's never around anymore. I try to have one moment with him, and he has to go. I really love him, I do, but I'm tired of waiting around for him. He always has work matters to tend to. I don't even remember the last time we've been intimate. It seems so long ago."

"Intimate? You mean . . ."

"Well no. I told Jacob that I wanted to wait until I was ready for intercourse. He didn't seem to have much of a problem with it, but I can see that he really wants it. I hope I haven't upset him."

"That doesn't matter. If you don't want it yet, then he should wait."

" . . . . . I am so FED UP with him! I'm not even sure I want to be with him anymore. We don't even talk like we used to. But, I still have to . . ."

I wiped her eyes again and waited for her to calm down her sobbing. The waiter came around with a menu.

"What'll it be?" he asked.

"I'll have a red wine, and a . . ."

I looked at Bella, expecting an answer. She shook her head. The waiter went off and left us alone again.

"Can we change the subject?" she asked desperately.

"Of course," I said, lifting one side of my mouth into a crooked smile. She blushed. I could hear her heart skip a beat. She looked me in the eyes and her eyelids lowered a bit. I couldn't help but to let my irises pulse in her intense gaze. (Think of it as a "body function" response.)

"Why are you so pale?" she asked me, studying my face. "Don't you go out in the sun?"

"From time to time," I replied slyly.

"And you have dark spots under your eyes. Don't you ever sleep?"

"When I can."

"No offense, but your hands are so cold. Like there isn't a speckle of warmth in your body."

I chuckled to hide my fear. She was beginning to get curious.

"Let . . . let me see your teeth."

" . . . . . Why?"

"I'm curious . . ."

I flashed my teeth to humor her.

"They're so . . . white. Clear almost. How do . . . how . . ."

"I have my secrets."

I smiled crookedly, hoping to scare her silent. She blushed again and seemed to be in thought for a moment.

"You're like a . . . a . . . what are those things called? Oh! A vampire . . . you remind me of a vampire."

"Foolish presumption."

"Huh?"

"Vampires don't exist."

"I was only saying."

"Oh, sure you were."

Bella did her child like pout again, and, like always, it never failed to make me smile. I looked to my side and received my wine from the waiter. I pushed the glass towards Bella.

"What?" she asked.

"Drink."

"I'm not thirsty."

"I seriously think you should drink. All that crying could make you lose essential fluids."

" . . . . You're trying to get me drunk."

"Now if I was doing that, I'd order the whole bottle. Besides, why would I want to do that? I don't want my way with you because I barely know you and I'm not looking forward to carrying you back to your room. And I didn't poison it either."

"Prove it."

I took the wine took a long drink. I wasn't much of a drinker, even though being a vampire kept me from getting a disease or getting drunk. Still, it had been awhile since I've had the strong taste of an old century red wine like this.

Bella looked into the glass carefully and took a sip. She seemed to like the drink because she chugged the rest of it down.

"Like I said, you were thirsty," I said proudly. Bella shrugged and wiped her mouth. She sighed and looked me in the eyes again. She looked a bit confused as she continued to stare.

"Your eyes look darker than before."

"I don't see how that's possible," I replied. I gulped, realizing that sitting with her made me start to lust for blood again. My eyes were probably changing again.

"But your eyes did change . . . . What . . . What ARE you?"

"Human . . . like everyone else."

"No, no . . . what are you, really?"

"Don't tell me you believe in fairy tales."

"I don't."

"Now, I don't believe you."

Bella blushed angrily. I wasn't about to just let her find out the truth. I swore on my eternity. But there was one thing I didn't notice.

"What's on your sleeve?" she asked me. I looked on my sleeve and –excuse the expression – grew pale. It was the pig's blood from this morning.

"It's wine," I said.

"Wine isn't that dark."

"Why can't it be?"

"It just isn't."

I sighed, seeing that I wasn't going to win this battle. Arguing with her was like stapling gelatin to a tree. I remained silent.

"That isn't blood, is it?" she asked. I said nothing. "Are you a . . . a murderer?"

I looked at her like she was insane. Did I look the type?

"Perhaps not . . ." she concluded. "But . . . is there such a thing as . . . vampires?"

"How would I justify anything by answering that?"

"Then explain how your canine teeth are so sharp."

I shrugged. She, of course, was still stubborn and refused to give up.

"And no one's eyes look like that," she said, pointing out my irises. "That's impossible."

"Your right . . . it IS impossible."

" . . . . . . . Please tell me."

" . . . . . . . Tell anyone, and I'll have to drink you dry, my lady."

Bella shifted in her seat, feeling what was probably fear.

"Do I scare you?" I asked her, baring my toothy smile.

"A little."

"That's the way it should be."

"Do you . . . you know . . . drink human blood?"

"Not since a century ago."

"Wait, you've lived for how long?"

"A long time."

"What do you drink then?"

"Animals."

"Could I see?"

"You talk too much . . ."

"Could I see?"

" . . . . . . No."

She seemed to understand that this was a touchy subject for me, so she continued no further. She circled her finger around the rim of her wine glass. She seemed to be questioning on whether or not to believe this.

"I . . . I don't believe you," she said. "It's all just a way to show off to me."

"Oh really?" I asked her, feeling challenged. "Take this napkin and toss it as far as you can. I'll bring it back here in seconds."

Bella rolled her eyes and threw the napkin across the room when no one was looking. Before she could even put her arm back down, I was back at the table with the napkin in my hand. I smiled at the shock on her face.

I leaned in to get close to her face. She blushed automatically.

"Can we go somewhere where we will not be seen?"

She smiled slightly.

"I know a place . . ."

I got up and held out my hand. She took it cautiously and let me help her up. I held out my arm for her to take. After sneaking by the stairs, Bella lead the way.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hope you enjoy this chapter because I really enjoyed writing it! **

Chapter 6 – Are You False?

Her hand held mine ever so slightly, and I could feel her warmth affect me. She continued to lead me down to the ship's interiors, getting closer to the commoner's area. We came to a door I had never seen on my father's ship before. Once we went inside, I beheld a smell so powerful, even my eyes watered slightly.

"The trash room is your uh . . . secret place?" I asked Bella, incredulously.

"Beyond this room is where I'll take us," she said back. "Hopefully, outside, there isn't any waste out. If so, we'll just find some place else to talk. But if not, it really is a nice private spot."

" . . . Outside?"

"Yes, outside. Is . . . is that a problem for your kind?"

"Only if it's sunny. Sensitive skin, you know."

" . . . . . You're lying to me."

"Why do you assume that all the time?"

"You just admitted earlier that you were a vampire! How COULD I believe you? Then again, your little trick did get me thinking . . ."

"Then what I said was true?"

" . . . . . . How many others know about this . . . this situation of yours?"

"None, as far as I'm concerned. It wouldn't do us any good if the people on this ocean liner knew that I'm a bloodsucker. We wouldn't receive our fair share of money."

I chuckled lowly, but then looked at Bella seriously.

"I only ask that you do not speak of this to anyone. I'm not sure I can trust you, but you look sensible enough to know that if you went around spewing a tale of a vampire aboard, they'd drop you off at the asylum once we got to America. But still, I can't read your thoughts, and it disturbs me deeply . . ."

"You . . . you can read thoughts?" asked Bella, looking into my eyes with a face full of curiosity. "You can't read mine?"

" . . . No."

"I'd prefer it that way."

" . . . . . . Why? What do you have to hide?"  
I brought my face close to hers, watching her cheeks glow blood red. Her flowery scent strengthened and her warm breath softly quickened. She seemed to be hypnotized as she stared into my pupils. I wanted her to stop. She didn't realize how much this teased me.

"You're . . . you're absolutely d-dazzling . . ." she sighed weakly. Realizing what she said, she shook her head and looked away.

"I . . . I dazzle you?" I smiled, looking at her curiously. "Is that what you were hiding?"

Bella continued to ignore my close face, but with great difficulty.

"Don't do that," she complained suddenly, backing away. I looked at her, my expression confused. What WAS I doing? I only asked a simple question. I decided to ignore it.

"So . . . you wanted to show me something, Bella?"

"But I thought you said that you couldn't go out in the sunlight."

"Well . . . I-I can. It won't hurt me."

"What happens?"

" . . . . . It's hard to explain. I guess the only way to describe it to you is for you to see it yourself. But I'm not so sure, Bella . . ."

"Please, could I see?"

"Only if you won't tell . . ."

"You can trust me. I don't tell secrets."

" . . . . . But still one question remains. Why are you trusting me so suddenly. I'm beginning to think that you're not as sensible as you let on."

"No, I don't trust you."

"Then why are you still here? I'm about to show you something, which could possibly be my perfect chance to suck your blood, and yet, her you are!"

" . . . . . . . . . ."

"Bella, y-you shouldn't be with me, you realize that? Can't you tell I'm giving you warnings?"

"I'm not afraid of you."

"You need to be. Don't you realize what I am?"

"I feel no fear at all; I'm sorry."

" . . . . . . . You . . . are so IGNORANT. Here I am, holding myself back from killing you, trying to keep you alive, and that's all you have to say? Be reasonable, Bella!"

Before I knew it, I was yelling at this girl I hardly knew. I knew that I was yelling for an unimportant reason, but she angered me with an anger I had never felt before. She just stood there, so unassuming, even as I told her the truth. How could she not be afraid? Everyone is afraid of me.

Somehow, I wanted her to leave. I didn't want to be seen with those eyes; those fiery, brave, misunderstanding eyes. How could she be so naïve? I didn't want to repeat the past . . . .

Angrily, I stepped quickly towards her, causing her to step backwards and place her backside against the wall of the trash room. I placed my hands against the wall, trapping her between my arms. How could she not see the danger that she was in? It angered me to see someone who didn't know how terrible it was to know me. I didn't want this to happen again, not after all the pain it caused me . . .

I sighed, trying to calm myself down, but I remained in my spot, not allowing Bella to move. The urge to bite her was strong. I chose my words carefully.

"I'm sorry if I frightened you, but you need to know this. Now that you know my secret, now that you know it to be true, you should stay away from me. It won't do us any good if you keep seeing me like this. These encounters are mostly of my doing, so I'll do my part to stay away. I advise you do the same, Bella."

Bella tensed up, but then looked me carefully in the eyes again. Her lips hung open slightly as she thought. It only pressured me further, seeing her blood filled tongue behind her teeth.

" . . . . You . . . you want to drink my blood?" she asked, curiously and disturbingly calm.

" . . . . . Yours more than anyone else's," I sighed.

" . . . . . . . . . . . Why?"

"You have a great scent; a scent that . . . that is extremely strong to me. It makes me want to . . . to feed."

" . . . . . . . ."

"Why else would I allow myself to be alone with you here? As a gentleman, I normally wouldn't do such a thing."

"But . . . I was the one who brought you here . . ."

"Which was foolish, considering that I had just told you that I'm a vampire? You should have run, you should have screamed . . . . . I . . . I don't understand you at all."

" . . . . Is that all you see? Is that all you expect me to do? Run off after you saved my life? Of course I wanted to get to know you."

"Please, Bella, for your sake, don't do this to me."

"What are you so afraid of?!"

"I don't want to lose you!"

Bella fell silent, and blushed slightly. She looked at my face once more, but seriously.

"But how will you lose me if you barely know me?"

" . . . . . It's happened before . . ."

"I'm listening . . ."

I looked at her solemnly and sighed. Perhaps, if I told her, she'd finally understand. But even as I wanted her to leave after today, a part of me wanted her to stay. Her presence made me feel . . .

"I fell in love once," I began, "with a woman like you. She wasn't afraid, and she loved me dearly. Her scent was quite lovely to me, and I was young then; a new vampire, mourning into the depths of night. I love that woman like no other, but her scent overpowered me so badly, it made me lose all control. I bit her and drank from her until every last drop was devoured. I never forgave myself since then . . . I . . . I don't want that to happen to you . . ."

Bella lightly touched my cold, hard face and lifted it. She looked at me, with a pity I didn't deserve.

"You talk of such sad things, and yet, even as your eyes look liquid, they don't water," she pondered with a soft whisper. I gave her a cold smile and replied.

"Vampires can't cry."

ECEJABRJ ECEJABRJ ECEJABRJ ECEJABRJ ECEJABRJ ECEJABRJ

I let her take me outside, much to my surprise. I just covered my hands by putting on my gloves and shaded my face with my hat.

My sad tale did frighten her, but it only brought her closer. She seemed to pity me as she cautiously walked me onto the secret balcony she spoke so greatly of. She did seem afraid, to my fortune and hers, but still she held my hand like a child does to his idol.

I gave up for today. For now, I'd just let her ask her questions and let her leave when she became uninterested. Still, I tried to convince myself that I should leave at that very moment, but the smell of the strong sea water helped to drown Bella's phenomenal odor.

Bella's eyes lit up as she looked beyond the railing of the small balcony. No one was around here, so perhaps I could relax.

"I love coming with my friends," she said, looking out at the vast sea trailing behind us. Bella glanced at me and looked away with a soft smile. I wondered, was she trying to cheer me up? But other than that, something in her eyes looked at me in a new light. For a minute, I was afraid.

"Do you come here often?" I asked, looking elsewhere.

"Yes . . . I do. I always hoped that . . . that one day, when I'd fall in love, I'd stand by the railing of a glorious ship, with the one I'm with, watching the sun fall . . . But that's silly, I suppose."

I laughed a little as she looked away, embarrassed and blushing.

"No, it's alright. We all dream of something. But . . . don't you ever come here with Jacob?"

" . . . . . . . . . . . . . No . . . He never has any time."

"Do you want to do this with him?"

" . . . Maybe."

Bella remained silent after that. She didn't look too joyful either. I decided to change the subject.

"So . . . . did you desire to see why I don't come out in the sun?"

"If you don't mind," Bella smiled sheepishly.

"As long as you keep this to yourself."

I backed up a bit and opened the top of my coat and white buttoned shirt, revealing some of my chest. I also took off my hat and gloves. Immediately, the sun hit them and they began to shine as bright as diamonds. Soon, my skin changed to a stone like shimmer. Bella stared in awe and held out a hand, as if she wanted to touch me. She looked into my eyes cautiously, as if asking for permission.

I smiled gently and nodded. Bella reached out and touched my bosom, retracting slowly. She then returned her hand and shivered.

"Your chest is so . . . so cold," she gasped. "And so . . . hard. As hard as stone almost. How do you . . . how . . ."

"When you're a vampire," I began, "you're not alive. My heart doesn't beat; my blood doesn't flow, so my skin remains hard and cold. Not very attractive, is it?"

"You're . . . you're dead?"

"Well, not exactly. My body is, but my soul is stuck forever in this form . . . If I even have a soul."

"Oh, don't say that. Everyone has a soul; even the terrible people have a soul."

"But vampires don't deserve them, so I'm sure that we don't have souls. I don't even know if we go to hell, if there is such a thing."

"I don't think you will. You don't drink from people . . ."

"But I still crave human blood, and that's a sin."

" . . . . . That's not very fair . . ."

"Life never is, is it? The Bubonic Plague is living proof of that."

Bella sighed.

"You're just damned if you do and damned if you don't, aren't you?"

I chuckled softly and shrugged. I buttoned back up my shirt and coat, but kept my hat and gloves off. I looked at her, feeling that she understood, even though I was pretty sure she didn't. Bella gazed up at me, her brow slightly furrowed.

"You aren't lying to me . . ."

" . . . I think I can trust you with that."

I felt myself closing in closer to her face, watching her thin, soft lips sit still. She seemed to do the same. I tilted my head in one direction, and she tilted in the other as we closed in. My eyes began to close as I tried to fight what I wanted most right now.

My eyes opened quickly as her hand blocked my lips. She held it there, her tearing eyes looking away. I took her hand in mine and held it dearly. I took my other hand and gently pushed her cheek in my direction, so I could see her. She pushed away.

"I'm sorry," she stumbled, wiping her eyes. "I just . . . I . . ."

I took her hand again, and kept it in mine, while I wiped a stray tear off the bottom of her eye. I let it sit on my finger for a moment, and then brought it to my lips. I put the tear in my mouth, tasting the bittersweet water. Bella watched me, her eyes full of question.

"It's nothing," I said, smiling crookedly. Bella's heart skipped a beat as I let go of her hand. We stood there on the hidden balcony, with only the sound of the rushing ocean in our ears. I felt that it was best to keep silent now, and I figured she felt the same. There was no way I had the heart to tell her that tasting her tears was as close as I was going to get to tasting her blood.

* * *

**Once again, thanks for reading!! Please comment on how I'm doing so far. I would really appreciate it. :) - dragondustbubblez**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Dinner Dash

I just knew that this day would come, yet I didn't prepare. Not well, at least.

I knew that if I were ever to find myself in more female company, eventually the "alpha" male of the bunch would come to challenge me. If only my maiden wasn't there . . .

Here I was, sitting on the couch in our living room, when long and behold I heard terrible news.

Carlisle took out a letter that was sent to our dwellings in the past few minutes. His expression went sour for a minute, and then resolved itself. Stuffing the note into his pocket, he turned to face me.

"Apparently, we are invited . . . . t-to Jacob's congratulation get-together."

"What's to celebrate?" I huffed, crossing my arms in annoyance of hearing the name that always left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"It's to celebrate his success in finding new connections to his business in Europe. Supposedly, it's a large step in his career . . . . . . Edward, it's only for an hour. Surely you can suck in your hatred to sit and converse with a couple of our guests, can't you?"

" . . . . . I will give it thirty minutes."

"Forty-five," Carlisle haggled. "No less."

"Fine . . . ." I concluded curtly.

Carlisle took the letter back out to re-read it. A smile hit his face suddenly as he chuckled softly. I looked over at him with curiosity.

"The one you admire will be there. So dress your best."

If I wasn't a vampire, I could have sworn that I was blushing. As my adoptive father turned away to go about his business, he left me sitting there with one million things running through my head.

_SHE _was going to be there. The one I had seen only a day ago, and already missed. The one I wanted to drink from. The one I wanted to . . . This was going to be a disaster.

How would I keep control? Not only that, but in front of her fiancé. He, better than anyone, would be able to read my expressions. And if he found out, ohhh . . . . .

So, I decided to go. But if it got to be too much, I'd use a good excuse for leaving the table. Such as: "Oh! I have to use the facilities." Or: "Oh! I need to go powder my nose. I feel out of place."

In a way, I knew that wouldn't work.

ECEJABRJ ECEJABRJ ECEJABRJ ECEJABRJ ECEJABRJ ECEJABRJ

I was getting so tired of this stuffy tie.

Esme said it was because I was nervous. She had this weird belief that when men got nervous, their necks got bigger somehow, making their bowties incredibly uncomfortable. It didn't make sense, but, at the moment, it seemed sensibly correct. Every step closer to the dining room I got, the tighter my tie seemed to get.

I entered the double doors, with my family following behind in their fancy clothes. I scoped the room, almost feeling excited from the thrill of looking for Bella. It was strange because I had only spoken to her about three times, yet time and time again, I found that the more we were apart, the more antsy I became. And the moments I caught sight of her, no matter where I was, I began to realize what was going on inside me. It wasn't my hunger.

But I kept control. She deserved better, but if she wanted to stick to the mutt, then that was her choice. I had no way to control her. Some days, I wished I could.

I spotted her amongst the crowd of stiff aristocrats. Without realizing it, I started to breathe in a heavy sort of way. My lips parted slightly without me acknowledging it until Alice commented that I looked like a cod fish. I cleared my voice and went to go find a seat at the designated table.

I sat and waited, desperately hoping she'd notice my presence. I also hoped that she'd ignore me. By the way I was feeling right now, I could tell that I thirsted for her in more ways than one. My hunger grew by the minute, which was a strange sensation to me.

To be sure of her safety (and mine), I had drained an old swine down in the ship's core, filling my stomach with much needed blood. Still, I hungered for Bella's sweet scented nature, even as my eyes retained a bright golden glow of a full stomach.

But, as I sat there, watching Bella's every move when she wasn't looking, I noticed other sensations within and without me.

I couldn't stop blinking, even though the need to blink was no longer mandatory for me, and I found it quite discouraging. My nostrils flared unattractively. My stomach made the most unruly noises, which was strange because I no longer felt physical hunger in my actual organs. But, more than anything else, I couldn't stop fidgeting. My hands and legs had minds of their own. Emmett looked at me funny.

"Edward?" he questioned me. "Is . . . is everything okay? You look odd."

"I'm fine," I said, putting on my best smile. I looked to my side and looked away with a shiver. Jasper was watching me with a peculiar look, as if he were invading my mind. Jasper, of course, had the power to control emotions and feel the emotions of others.

He looked to Bella. I looked as well. She was speaking to a relative of Jacob's, apparently. Her face was visible and open. As she talked, she bit her lip. My relaxed legs instantly closed up as I shifted in my seat, and I swallowed heavily. Jasper looked at me with arched eyebrows, surprise hitting his face as he read my emotions. He would have blushed if he could.

What I wanted to know was why I was suddenly getting these kinds of "human" reactions. Not that it actually succeeded, but it came close to being public. I thought of something different and looked elsewhere.

Just as imperfect timing always seemed to find me, everyone came to the table. Bella was only a few seats away when she noticed me. I heard her heart speed up by ten fold and her cheeks were as red as strawberries. She seemed like she was trying not to notice me here. It wasn't working very well.

One man, whom I presumed was the father of Jacob, stood up and clicked his fork against his wine glass.

"Ehem," he said. "Good evening everyone. For those of you who do not know me, my name is Billy Black, also known as Jacob's father. To those of you who do know me, hello."

Everyone chuckled lightly. Bella just played nervously with her hair while glancing at me every so often. Her heart wouldn't relax.

Billy continued.

"We are all here on behalf of my son, who has succeeded in more than he realizes. With his new business, he is making thousands, possibly millions as we speak. And also, I'd like to congratulate him and his fiancé, Bella. They are soon to be wed and I wish them the best."

Clapping and whistling rang out throughout the table. To be polite, I clapped, but only half heartedly. I wasn't as selfish as I was when I first met her, but I still believed deep inside that she was truly mine. I felt like I was being stolen from.

"Where is the man of honor?" asked a gentleman beside me.

Billy chuckled nervously.

"Out doing business, I suppose. But not to worry! He gave his word and said that he'd be here for you all today. He's just . . . . just running a little late."

Bella sighed and rested her soft cheek onto the palm of her hand. She blankly looked ahead of her, not showing any interest in anything else. It wasn't hard to tell that she looked thoroughly unhappy.

Suddenly, I smelled his awful stench come through the doorway. Instantly, the edge of my lips curled into a snarl. I growled a little in my throat, but not on purpose. Esme nudged my side with her elbow and gave me a look. Alice chuckled.

"Sorry I'm late everyone," said the werewolf, in his obvious American accent. "Discussing things with the leader of the latest railroad organization's a bitch."

Billy cleared his throat and gave Jacob the same look Esme gave me. Jacob silently apologized to him and sat down, taking his cap off. Just for fun, I read his mind.

_"Damn, this is a tough crowd. Can't a man cuss at his own party?"_

If only werewolves couldn't tell that their minds were being read. Jacob's face turned to me in surprise as he felt his mind being pried into. He narrowed his eyes and sent me an extremely rude mental insult. I smirked and answered back.

_"Ohhhh, poor little doggy. He has to keep his words to himself. I wonder how long that will last, mutt."_

_"Shut it, leech." _he thought.

_"Make me."_

Not bothering to answer back, Jacob took hold of Bella and planted a soft kiss on her lips. She sighed and smiled back, reaching for more. As they kissed, he looked at me with a devious appearance. It took all my strength to keep from biting his neck off.

_"Looks like I found Vampy's weakness," _Jacob thought. _"Trying to move in on my girl, leech?"_

_"I'll be more of a man to her than you'll ever be."_

_"Then come and get her if you dare. I'll have your ass arrested so fast, you won't be able to read my last thought of you."_

Bella caught my attention, interrupting my little inner brawl with Jacob. She looked between the two of us with the most confused look I've ever seen on a human being. Even the food on her fork fell off, due to her not paying attention to anything but me and the werewolf.

I sighed and shook my head, trying to dismiss her curiosity.

Unfortunately, Jacob wouldn't give up a fight. He kissed Bella's hand oh so tenderly, and whispered into her ear, making her giggle. Everyone around the table watched them, shifting uncomfortably in their seats. Of what I read from their minds, most thought that they were in heat at this very moment. I knew better.

He was trying to make me jealous, and it was working.

Then he kissed and lightly bit her neck, so that only I could see.

That's when I left. I wiped my mouth with my napkin, as if I had eaten, and stepped up out of my seat.

"Excuse me," I said politely. "I'll return soon."

Carlisle turned around and tried to get my attention.

"Edward? Edward, where are you going?"

I ignored him and hoped that he'd forgive me for leaving. As I left, I could still hear Jacob's mental chuckling. I could even feel the smirk on his face from behind my back. I walked quicker.

Once I was out of the dining room, I came to the stairs and leaned against a large column with my arms crossed.

Yes, it was true. I was pouting. I hardly ever did something like that, but tonight, I couldn't help myself. I felt like a child that had gotten his toy taken away from him. But not just a toy. A toy that he REALLY enjoyed.

To my surprise, the double doors of the ship's dining room opened up, revealing a small female figure. My eyes pulsed reactively.

"Edward, is everything alright?" Bella asked, as she came closer to me. I lowered my head and managed to pull up a small, crooked smile.

"I'm fine," I replied.

" . . . . . . . It's Jacob, isn't it?"

" . . . . . Now, what makes you think that?"

"It's the way you guys look at each other. It's so . . . hostile."

"Hostile is . . . . a strong word."

"But it's true. What? Are you afraid that I told him about you being a vampire?"

"He already knows."

"Wait, what?"

" . . . . . . It's not my place to say, but I'll say this. He's not human either. And you should be careful of him too. He has no more control than I have."

" . . . . . Edward, are . . . . . are you . . . . jealous?"

I didn't answer. I didn't know how. I didn't want to lie to her, but I still had my dignity to keep. I looked at her with dark eyes and pulled up a small corner of my mouth in attempt of a smile. Then, turning around slowly, I put my hands in my pockets and headed for my sleeping quarters, leaving Bella with thoughts that I wish I could hear.

**That's all so far folks! Tune in till next time when I update. Next up is probably Sunrise. Sunset. Hope you liked this chapter! (Sorry it took so long. I was having the longest writer's block in the world! Homework didn't help either.)**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – The Initiative Choices

So the dinner wasn't a success.

I ran out earlier than I should have. Carlisle was publicly humiliated. Jacob had his fun.

I was NOT happy at the moment.

And the last thing I wanted to hear was a scolding from my adoptive parents. They went on and on about how disagreeable I was being; how I should have stayed longer for the sake of our reputation as honorable vampires. I wanted to curse them out and be done with it, but decided not to, for the sake of my hide.

Other than that, I had heard that the get-together went quite well, despite my absence. I was also shamefully happy to hear that my absence made one particular guest quite solemn for the remainder of the evening.

I had no intentions of making Bella upset, but hearing that I, in fact, had made an impact on her wellbeing made up for my entire disappointing evening. But I knew that I should have apologized, and the guilt rose in me like steam does from a warm kettle, so I got up from my bed, dressed into more comfortable clothing, and headed out the door to look for her once more.

But before I could even take a step, I vaguely remembered something. Bella's in love with Jacob. Even through all her suffering from being with him, she still loved him. I honestly didn't know what I was getting into, but I had to try. I had to convince her that she belonged with someone who could make her happy. And the fact that Jacob couldn't make the time to be with her, made me insanely distraught. Why would he give up such a beautiful specimen? Why would he consider it the least important thing in his life? She, above all else in my opinion, seemed worth it. She did have her quirks, but that, in turn, was what made her special. And I could spend months sitting on a couch, daydreaming and analyzing her from head to toe entirely.

It was foolish to say that I was "in love", for I knew that most of my impulses were based on bloodlust alone. Bella deserved better than that. But with time, I found myself becoming less lustful when I spent more time speaking to her. Her clever, spiteful words stung me with a wound I've never had before.

It was then that I knew why I had come to meet her so suddenly. Was it fate? Was it pure, unaltered chance? Whatever the meaning, she would have to be mine, and no one else's. And only time would tell to see if she agreed with me.

But tonight was not meant to be the night of my proposal.

There she was, sitting against the railing of the FANG's balcony. Bella had her legs up to her chest, her arms resting on her knees, and her forehead resting on her arms. She didn't seem to mind, or more-so, notice, the cold wind blowing against her body.

As I got closer, I noticed her shoulders were shaking.

I said nothing, but merely sat next to her and waited. She eventually noticed me here, and looked at me with clear, watery eyes. I felt whatever was left of my dead heart melt as she looked away and tried to wipe her eyes.

I took the liberty in wiping them for her, with one of my cold fingers. She shivered and retracted a little from the feel of ice hitting her already chilled skin.

It was no wonder to me why she liked Jacob so much. She obviously hated cold weather, and Jacob, being the werewolf he was, provided the warmth she needed. But was that all?

Sure, I was cold and stony to the touch, but I had a lot more to offer too.

"Bella, Bella, Bella," I cooed. "How often must I see you sad like this? I hope this'll be the only time."

"Oh, stop with the smooth talking!" she yelled with a weary voice. "I've . . . I've had enough of you!"

Bella wiped her eyes once more and got up, trying her best to quickly walk away in her high heels. I took a moment to recollect what I had done. I walked in, I sat by her . . . I asked her not to be sad. I hadn't done anything!

As quick as lightning, I ran to catch up to Bella, ending up in front of her before she could even stop. She stomped a foot and gave me a desperate angry face. I took a step back.

"Don't you have some other lady to harass?!" she yelled.

"Other lady?" I asked, almost chuckling at the thought. "What other lady would I have to confront?"

"Ohhh!! . . . . D-Don't play dumb with me! I know you're type! You just find a woman you fancy, foil around with her feelings, and then leave her to rot when you've found another trophy to shine all day!!"

"What?" I asked, not understanding the logic behind her anger. " . . . Bella, where are getting all these ideas from?"

"Stay away from me you . . . you . . .!"

I gently took her hand and slowly pulled her closer to me.

"I only wanted to know why you were crying," I said to her. Bella sighed and started to calm down. She sat on a bench nearby and wiped the remaining tears out of her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said to me. "I . . . I don't mean to yell at you this way. I'm just . . . so upset with Jacob right now and . . . . Oh, never mind. I won't bore you with meaningless details."

"Actually," I began, softly, "I like long stories. As long as you tell them, I'll listen carefully."

Bella looked at me and I gave her a genuine smile. She looked away and nodded to herself.

"Okay, I'll tell you," she said. I scooted a bit closer to her, but still kept my distance, making sure not to wear out what welcome I had here.

She continued on.

"Jacob and I are fighting. I kept complaining about how he's too busy to be with me more and more each day. He got back at me by accusing me of adultery. We're not even married! I just got so fed up with him that I . . . called our relationship off."

"How could he accuse you of such a thing?" I asked curiously. "You haven't done anything, have you?"

"No . . . and yes. You see, he's right, you know? He's been right all along. I'm not in love with him, and I never have been. I . . . I find myself affiliated with someone else, and I . . . I barely even know him . . ."

Bella turned away from me with her cheeks as bright as day itself, and her eyes began to water up again. I had a strong inkling that it was I that she was hinting about, but I didn't want to get my hopes up. So I acted as if I didn't realize the meaning behind her words.

"You've fallen for a friend?" I asked.

"Oh no. I don't have feelings for any of my friends. Mike . . . I mean, Michael isn't within my interest."

"Then who? You know I'm curious."

She looked into my eyes with a hidden dread and embarrassment. She turned away from me once more and sighed.

"I figured you'd know the answer to that. Isn't it obvious?"

I smiled and chuckled slightly, but kept from being rude.

"Very."

I took her hand and kept it in mine, and with my other hand, I turned her head around by placing my thumb and forefinger on her soft, wet chin. She tilted her head slightly and I tilted mine in the opposite way. When our lips touch, I felt a fire course through my veins as if life had struck my heart again. I quickly let go, fearing that if I drowned in the kiss, I would get the urge to bite her tongue and lips. She looked at me questionably.

"I'm sorry," I said to her. "I suppose there's more I should tell you as well. Kissing someone doesn't come easily for me. It makes my thirst for blood stronger."

"I'm surprised you even kissed me, considering you're so 'dangerous' to me," she replied.

"I am dangerous to you. You probably shouldn't even be here with me. But you chose to, so . . ."

"That's just how it is."

I nodded in agreement slowly. What I had here was difficult. I had reached her at last, but only in her moment of need. Only time would tell if she was telling me the honest truth. But, as hypocritical as I was, I couldn't bring myself to tell her my own truths.

I loved her, but I didn't LOVE her. I had a strong lust that was slowly being quenched by a strong liking. Day by day, the thought of drinking her dry would slowly diminish, but it was still fresh in my mind, none the less. So, to cover up for making further mistakes, I asked her a question that most males I knew didn't bother to ask.

"Bella, I'm happy that we are together now, but . . . if we are to keep it this way, I need to take things slow with you. I'm afraid that if I rush, I may harm you in some way."

It scared me to see that she had no trace of fear in her eyes, but at the same time, it made me content. She didn't gasp, she didn't shudder . . . she didn't even twitch. She stayed calm and sure, taking my hands and exploring them.

She looked me in the eyes and smiled sadly.

"I understand."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Failure

I heard him howling all night long.

If I still had the need to sleep, I wouldn't have gotten any that night. And I was pretty sure that nobody else on this gigantic boat got any sleep tonight. I could hear the thoughts of the passengers through the walls if I concentrated hard enough, and most of them were a bit shaken by the solemn and eerie bellows.

I felt Bella shiver as she held onto my arm as I walked her around outside of the ship. The air was cool before, but now it seemed to get chillier.

I knew he was out there somewhere.

He wanted to kill me, and I couldn't blame him.

But all that blind rage wasn't good for my lady to see. I opted to take her to a safe place immediately, before anything could happen.

I took her by the shoulders.

"Bella, darling . . . I fear that I can no longer court you around tonight," I told her quickly, looking around cautiously. She looked at me sadly.

" . . . Edward, I . . ." she began.

"I'm sorry . . . I . . . I can't have you stay here right now. I need to be alone."

"Was it something I said? I know I've been speaking of Jacob very much tonight, but I meant no . . ."

"No, it's not that . . . Something's coming, and I need you to stay hidden."

"But the ship's secure . . . nothing can get on board and nothing can get off unless he himself jumps off."

"No, it's much more complicated than that."

" . . . Don't play games with me, Edward. You're upset and . . ."

I covered her mouth, gently but firmly. I looked her dead center in the eyes and spoke.

"I'm trying to protect you, love."

She instantly grew quiet and nodded. A light blush covered her cheeks as she apologized for her assuming.

I stayed close to her, preparing to defend her against anything aggressive that may be triggered by Jacob's grief. I knew that if he saw me with her, he would have a fit. Maybe even transform into the beast he was made to be. And judging by those howls, he had already seen us.

I knew very well that a werewolf's anger was very easily wasted on innocent lives if provoked. I wouldn't let him do such a thing to the one I wanted.

I got Bella inside the ship and to her room, which was not far ahead. I let her in by holding the door and almost closed it until she intervened.

" . . . When do I get to see you again?"

I took her hand and brushed my lips against her smooth knuckles, taking in her scent slowly.

"In time . . ." I answered.

"What do you have to do? What is with the urgency?"

"That is to be explained for another time. Until then, take care of your human needs. I have things to tend to. Things . . . you shouldn't have to see."

"Edward . . ."

"Shh . . . I shall return for you."

I left at once, not bothering to say goodbye. Not wanting to look back on her pained face, still taken aback by what happened during the dinner get-together, I kept walking forward, gaining speed when it was appropriate.

Closing the front door behind me, I stood out on the top deck that I had taken Bella out to a few minutes before. Now I was alone.

Well, not quite.

" . . . Jacob . . ." I called, not bothering to whisper. " . . . I can imagine that you are angry with me. Instead of sitting on the smoke-stack, bearing your teeth and plotting your attack, let us face this dilemma like the gentlemen we are shall we?"

" . . . You are no gentleman," I heard him reply in a deep, bitter voice.

I turned around and saw him come out from the shadows. His face was heavily distorted by anger and his nails were beginning to grow sharp. It wouldn't be long until he'd transform.

"You . . . you took her from me," he growled. "Things were going great, and you screwed it up you bastard. How DARE you tell me to settle things like a gentleman."

"Though I rather not sympathize with you, I might as well for Bella's sake," I said as calmly as possible, trying to ignore the rancid stench coming from his sweaty body. " . . . There is no use getting angry with me. I was simply a shoulder to cry on while she complained about, low and behold, her fiance, and how he fails to treat her how she deserves to be treated."

"Piss off, leech. You know nothing . . . NOTHING, you hear me?!"

Jacob began to circle around me, but I stayed put and looked elsewhere.

"She and I had . . . EVERYTHING," he continued on, spitting every word. "Then you come along . . . with your smooth words and caresses. I know how you think around her . . ."

" . . . I admit . . . I have been a rash thinker when I first saw her. She is certainly different and I can't say that I haven't had my fantasies, both sexually and . . ."

"It's sickening . . . having to watch her interact with you as you struggle to keep from killing her . . . If you cared for her at all, you would remove yourself from her life by any means necessary."

"And if you truly cared for her, you would let her go."

Jacob stopped pacing. His eyes looked wild in the moonlight. I could have sworn I had seen them switch from dark brown to a bright yellow a few times. He was furious, and my words weren't going to reverse the situation by any means.

He pointed at me with one long, pointed finger; his chest puffed out and his look turning sinister.

"I forbid you to see her anymore, and I'll make sure she knows it. Don't look at her, don't try to find her, don't even THINK about her."

"And what if she tries to find me?" I asked. "What if she wants to see me?"

" . . . She won't."

"How can you be so sure? She has a mind of her own, and I am most certainly sure that she will not let you take control over her."

"I've still got time to fix things 'round here. You wait n' see, bloodsucker."

"You've already lost, Jacob. She's told me many times. I feel for you deeply, I do, but . . . there are times where . . ."

"And what? What? You plan to take my place? You don't even KNOW her like I do. How dare you call your lust love."

"True, I am not in love with Bella. But she has grown special to me over time, and I would like to take where you left off, and correct what you failed to do."

Jacob cackled loudly and wiped his mouth, which was drooling a long line of slobber. It wasn't long now until he'd lose it.

"So you plan to take my place . . . marry 'er. Have a few kids . . . while she grows old and all you can do is sit on your aristocratic ass and watch her die."

I bared my teeth, his comment getting to me in ways I didn't want it to. My eyes lost their gold glimmer, and turned dark red as I aimed to strike at any time.

"You just watch yourself, mutt. That's a conversation for another time."

" . . . I rather die than watch her turn into one of you. If you do . . . I'll kill 'er myself."

"You wouldn't dare."

Something dangerous sparked in Jacob's eye.

"You're insane," I told him.

"Oh no, Edward . . . I'm not insane," he answered. "I've seen worse than the likes of you, and yet, here I stand."

"Yes, here you stand . . . claws bared and yellow eyes. I even spot fur."

"All by your doing . . . Shall we end this?"

I yawned widely, pretending to not be intimidated.

"I rather not . . . I have more important things to attend to."

I started to head inside, but Jacob stopped me with his yell. A yell that meant murder.

"HEY!" he called to me. "Take one more step closer to her door, and I'll tear your cold, dead heart out and eat it."

I continued to walk, knowing that I would be much too fast for him to catch.

"DON'T YOU TURN YOUR BACK ON ME!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

I smirked.

"Give up Jacob . . . _Bells_ has had enough of you . . ."

That was it. I heard the rip of clothing and the sound of heavy paws hitting the ship's deck. I turned around before he could reach me, causing him to hit the doors with a thud.

His muzzle was covered in foam and his dagger teeth were bared and clamped. His eyes were wild with hatred and his claws dug into the deck, creating scratch marks. His tail flicked irritably.

He was in his true form, fully fledged and aimed to end my eternal life.

I removed my jacket and ejected my fangs, hissing loudly like a thousand cobras. If that was the way he wanted to play, then fine. He would get what was coming to him. I would teach him what would happen if he dared to challenge what was dreadfully true.

We lunged at each other, and time seemed stand still as we quarreled. Spending more time circling each other than actually attacking, we gave each other grim looks.

I did not hate him. I desperately wanted him off this ship and to never be seen again, but I did not hate him. He, on the other hand, truly showed discontent for me. I had stolen his mate, and now, like two alpha males of the wild, we fought to claim the prize. And I knew it was sad to fight, because Bella had already made her decision. And who knew? Maybe she was mad and she would forgive Jacob in the morning. Maybe she was over the whole thing and just not interesting in being in love again. Maybe she was using me. Whatever the case, she shouldn't have been intertwined with either of us. If I didn't do something about it, either one of us could kill her in attempts to save her.

Now, I didn't usually compensate with werewolves. This one however, and I couldn't find out why, was special to Bella. And knew very well that anger could only last so long. I tried to talk him out of his anger.

"Jacob," said, still retaining an attack pose, but relaxing my shoulders a bit. "Jacob . . . please listen to me."

He growled heavily at me, preparing to pounce.

" . . . Give her time . . . she may just be really angry at you. I didn't intend to take her from you."

_"That's a lie, and you know it," _he thought. _" . . . I'll rip you to shreds . . . She won't even miss you . . ."_

" . . . Think Jacob . . . How will she feel, knowing that you've killed someone?"

_"I do it for HER . . ." _

"Jacob . . ."

He jumped on top of me, catching me off guard and knocked me down, slamming my head onto the concrete. His warm, bloody paws held my wrists to the ground and his hot breath was inches from my face.

_"I will END this . . ." _he thought, furiously. He raised a paw and prepared to strike. I prepared to defend myself.

Suddenly, something pushed Jacob off of me. He struggled to get up and roared in anger at the interruption. He almost jumped for the figure, but then had to retreat. The person was throwing things at him.

Shoes, books, jewelry . . .

I looked up warily and saw her defending me. Once Jacob ran away to the darkness of the ship, Bella took me by the arm and led me to her room, locking the door behind her.

She looked incredibly angry and frustrated as well. It aroused me in some way.

" . . . THAT is what you had to do?" she yelled. "F . . . Fight wolves?!"

She was out of breath.

"You could have been killed, Edward!!!"

I chuckled and sat up, holding my injured wrists.

"My dear lady, you forget who I am . . ."

"I don't c-care if you're Dracula's distant relative, you still got hurt."

"Actually . . . Dracula is but a myth . . . the first vampire I've heard of to be in existence was . . ."

"I . . . don't . . . care, Edward," she sighed. After a moment of silence, her poor heart finally began to calm down, and her blood moved at a normal rate as the adrenaline rush disappeared. She sat down and covered her face.

"You . . . you weren't fooling me when you said to stay away from you, were you?" she whispered.

I shook my head and kept silent. I didn't know how to explain things to her. It was not every day that a gigantic, brown wolf could find his way onto a glorious ship like this.

" . . . What was that creature, any how?" she asked me.

" . . . Something as dreadful as I," I answered truthfully.

"Oh please . . . you are much more sophisticated than . . . than that thing."

"You would be surprised, my lady. You most certainly would."

" . . . No more lies Edward. You have gotten me into this, and now I demand the truth."

"You will not like what you are about to hear."

"I don't care. How am I supposed to spend more time with you if you keep getting into situations such as these?"

" . . . If I must."

Bella, to my pleasure and displeasure, got closer and began to dress my wounds with wet cloth. She looked so worried and concerned over me, as if were human like her.

" . . . You needn't worry so much. A vampire's wounds heal quicker than you think."

" . . . I'm still wrapping them," she stated, stubbornly.

"So stubborn," I chuckled. " . . . Fine, if it makes you feel better."

"It does . . ."

" . . . Then do so . . . it's good to do what makes you feel best."

"Yes . . . and I would highly appreciate it if you'd tell me about what happened."

I watched her tenderly wrap my wrists with nurse-like precision as I told my story.

" . . . When we were out and about . . . where was your fiance?" I asked her softly. She paused to think.

" . . . He left in a great hurry after I called our relationship off. Why does it matter?"

" . . . Are you sure you made the right call?"

"Why are you so concerned with Jacob. I thought you hated him."

"I do . . . But I know that you love him."

Bella stopped dressing my wounds and looked out her window. Her eyes looked so misty in the moonlight. She looked so lost within her thoughts. It frustrated me again, not knowing what she wanted.

" . . . I shouldn't have kissed you," she sighed.

"I agree," I said, smiling bitterly.

She looked much more upset after I agreed with her. I decided to sugar coat it. I didn't want to see her cry again.

"But I don't regret you making that decision."

She stared at me with sorrow in her eyes, as if she were afraid and hopeful at the same time.

"I won't lie . . . I'm not safe for you. But I won't force your decision."

She didn't answer. I continued.

"But I should warn you . . . Jacob . . . is not so safe either."

She looked up, concern and curiosity hitting her large eyes.

" . . . Jacob?" she questioned.

I nodded.

"You know that wolf? The one who fought me only moments ago. The one you shooed away? Who do you think that that is?"

She covered her mouth with her hands, not daring to look me in the eyes.

" . . . You mean to say . . . that he's . . . a werewolf?"

"Yes . . . and a dangerous one at that. Don't mistake my words, he does care and love for you very much . . . but he is only willing to go so far . . ."

"What will he do?"

" . . . He's fully fledged, fully dangerous . . . and . . . he's out to kill me . . ."

* * *

**Argh! I really wanted it to snow tonight here in Lancaster, CA. Then I wouldn't have school and I could focus more on my stories. **

**Anyway, I haven't updated in a while, and I hope I'm not getting rusty. For now the pace is slow, but I'm getting my mojo back. I've been dealing with a lot of stuff and it hasn't been easy. Motivation goes out the window sometimes, but like I said before, I won't abandon the story. **

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I hope you guys will continue to read my stories. Thanks for sticking with me thus far. You guys are the greatest. =) **

**P.S. - Check out my profile. Special message I'd like you to see. ^^ Thanks again. - Dragondustbubblez**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – Moonlight Sonata

No, I did not feel guilty for what I had said to Jacob. It was nothing but truth and he needed to hear it. But Isabella was in no position to agree with me.

I couldn't complete my meal as I continued to think of her and how rough I had been with her situation. The pig in my hand was starting to grow cold after I had let it sit. I stared at the puncture marks on its fat neck and wondered how I was to speak to Bella. That is, if she wasn't cross with me.

"If you're not going to drink that pig, I'd be more than happy to," Emmett claimed, staring at the blood dripping from the poor sow.

"Help yourself," I answered, throwing the pig to him. He caught it and turned it around so that it was on its head. He bit into it's haunches and sucked what he could out of it.

"Leaving so soon?" Carlisle asked while he dried his mouth.

"I apologize," I said, giving a short bow. "I have things to attend to."

"Don't be gone long," Esme warned. "It does you harm to be seen out and about on the ship at this time of night."

I nodded and showed myself out of the live stock holding cell. After climbing the stairs, I headed to the main stairwell that was near the eating room. To spot her, I sniffed the air for a familiar flowery scent.

It was coming from outside.

Slowly, I snuck out the front doors to find Bella. She was standing by the railing, looking up at the stars. Jacob was right next to her. They seemed to be talking to one another. To hear in on what they were talking about, I lay on one of the lounging chairs and tipped my top hat over my face to appear asleep.

"I just can't understand it," Jacob said.

"Neither can I," Bella explained. "There's just... something about him."

"But it's not fair. The whole meaning of relationship is sticking through, even when distractions appear."

"But Jacob, Edward has helped me see what is missing. He's here all the time. And you are not-"

"Wasn't it you that once said you'd wait for me?"

"That was a long time ago, Jacob. I didn't think I'd have to wait this long."

"Then what do I have to do, Bells? You want me to jump off the god-forsaken boat?"

"No... I just-"

"Bella, you told me before that you were done with me. And now you're calling me back. What do you want?"

Bella remained quiet and Jacob was panicking. It wasn't long before he gave up...

"... Just... let me know when you figure it out. But don't come crying to me when Edward breaks your heart."

Just before he could go back inside the ship, he turned around for one more word.

"He's not real, you know. He's not."

And with that, Jacob left the scene. To my amazement, he was holding in his anger quite well, compared to a few nights before. Perhaps he had realized how much of a danger he was to her, now that she knew his secret.

Surprisingly, Jacob failed to notice me laying here. Either that, or he was simply too exhausted to deal with my presence. When I could no longer smell his nauseating scent, I made my way to Bella's side.

"Edward," Bella said, shocked to see me there.

"Had a nice talk with him?" I asked curiously.

"... I told him how I felt... But he refuses to believe a word I've said."

"Funny... usually denial comes before anger."

"I'm not dying, if that's what you mean."

"More or less, it's similar."

Bella looked up at the sky again and sighed sadly. Having been fed earlier, I allowed myself to get closer to her. She lay her head on my shoulder. Feeling shaken from Jacob's words, I inquired her.

"Bella... how are you so sure of our relationship? You have known Jacob much longer than I..."

"I know it because I feel it."

"But even feelings can lead us astray..."

"Perhaps I just want to get lost in a moment."

I looked at Bella curiously, not sure whether or not I understood her. But something told me I was about to. I felt a sense of loss.

"Jacob... never gave that to me," she claimed.

"Bella..."

"I'm sorry."

I turned away, seeing her for what she really wanted.

"I'm just a diversion. An affair."

She ducked her head in shame. My eyes reddened with anger, but I refused to lose control.

"I suppose I saw this coming, seeing as how we have only known each other for a little while," I said calmly. "No one can fall in love in such a short time."

My words stung in my mouth, but I couldn't understand it. Why was I so distraught?

"You're not a diversion..." Bella told me. "I truly am fed up with Jacob... but I can't completely let him go."

"Sooner or later you'll have to decide," I said sternly. "I won't want to fight him forever."

Two tears fell from her eyes. She gazed up at me, worried and confused. I took her hand.

"You need to rest. I will speak with you tomorrow."

Right when I turned around, I felt her warm body clutch me from behind.

"I don't want to be alone tonight..." she cried. "I feel so lost in it all..."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Help me decide... You would know better than I."

I knew then the mess I had gotten myself into. I sighed and turned her around. Even now she resorted to asking for my help.

"Only you know that answer."

Bella looked me in the eyes for a long while, and I forgot to pretend to breathe. Her aura was intense and pulling me in like it had before. It was then I knew why I had upset myself.

I wasn't in love with her. But I was attracted to her like no other being on Earth. I wanted to keep her as my own. Keep her away from curious eyes.

I wanted to claim her as my very own.

It wasn't love. It was a territorial display.

"Bella..." I said, putting my hands on her shoulders. "I believe I must tell you something hurtful."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I do not love you. I don't know if you ever believed that, but my feelings for you are not so complicated. Surely, I am drawn to you. I wouldn't have told you about myself if I wasn't. But we can not get carried away... As much as I despise to agree with your fiance, he is correct."

"So... you can not console me tonight... after all that has happened?"

"... I can. But are you ready for the consequences?"

"I have nothing to lose except you. If we were to... fall in love, would you stay?"

"You're asking if I could build a bond with you?"

"It's not impossible is it?"

I looked away and thought.

"No, it isn't. I can see it happen. But I can not promise anything to you as Jacob has."

She nodded silently and wiped her eyes. I could admit, I felt sorry for her. All this tension between she and Jacob has left her feeling lonely and unloved. From what I could remember from my human days, that was a miserable feeling.

"If you feel it necessary... I could stay with you for the night. But I ask that we not be seen by either my family or Jacob until we sort things out."

"Of course," Bella whispered. I smiled softly and took her by the hand. I knew just the place to stay for the night. No one ever came down there, since nothing could be stowed away without it being extremely noticeable.

"Where are we going?" Bella asked as I dragged her along.

"To the end corridors of the ship, where we keep the cars. No one will find us there."

"What are we going to sleep on."

"This."

I proudly pointed at a shiny black car with red velvet seating on the inside. It belonged to an old neighbor of ours who had recently passed away. It would have been a pity to part with, so we kept it in his honor.

"If you don't mind of course," I added.

Bella scoffed.

"Is there enough room for you and I?" she asked, incredulously.

"You must be forgetting that vampires don't need sleep."

She looked at the car once more, but then made up her mind. She allowed herself in and lay on the back seat. I sat in the passenger seat up front and turned around to watch her.

"Thank you," she said softly. "I wouldn't be able to sleep otherwise."

I waved my hand in dismissal and smiled. She frowned for a moment.

"Are you just going to watch until morning?"

"Do you object to me doing so?" I said, smirking.

She chuckled and blood rushed to her face.

"No... not at all."

* * *

**Yup, I know... It's been a long time since the last update. And yes, I am sorry for that. I have many reasons as to why it is so. But anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :) **

**I do have something I would like to say though. Earlier, I had said I am not abandoning the story. This is still true. However, I had also said that once I start a story, I finish it; this is not altogether true. I'm kinda wishing I didn't say that . A little while ago I had to let a few of my stories go, due to poor planning and rushing the story. Unfortunately, it happens and I'm far from perfect at planning. But like everyone else on this site, I am using this site as practice for when I do start writing my own book. By then, I will want to have the skills to stick to it till the end. So yes, I will finish this story. But no, I do not save every story I start. Just wanted to clear that up.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading thus far, and I'll talk to you again the next time I update. - Dragondustbubblez**


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